Smyth v. Infrastructure Corp. of America

113 So. 3d 904, 2013 WL 275573, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 1083
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJanuary 25, 2013
DocketNo. 2D10-5520
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 113 So. 3d 904 (Smyth v. Infrastructure Corp. of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smyth v. Infrastructure Corp. of America, 113 So. 3d 904, 2013 WL 275573, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 1083 (Fla. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

ALTENBERND, Judge.

Kay Y. Smyth, as personal representative of the Estate of Edward E. Smyth, Jr., appeals a summary final judgment in favor of Infrastructure Corporation of America (ICA) and the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT). This case involves a tragic automobile accident in which Mr. Smyth died. As explained below, his Estate maintains that the accident [906]*906was caused by the negligence of the operator of a large mowing tractor, who was driving in the fast lane of an interstate highway at less than 30 miles per hour at 9:00 p.m. in November, long after sunset. The tractor was owned and operated by an uninsured and unauthorized subcontractor, Titan Lawn Service. Its employee, Franklin Williamson, was mowing the interstate right-of-way under a contract between DOT and ICA. Although the trial court did not explain its reasons for granting this summary judgment, DOT and ICA maintain that the driver of the mowing tractor either was not negligent as a matter of law or that his negligence did not cause the accident. They further maintain that they are not legally responsible for the actions of this subcontractor.

From our review of this unusually limited record, DOT and ICA clearly have not established the absence of a question of fact as to the negligence of the operator of the tractor or his causal role in this accident. See Christian v. Overstreet Paving Co., 679 So.2d 839, 840 (Fla. 2d DCA 1996); Snyder v. Cheezem Dev. Corp., 373 So.2d 719, 720 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979) (“If the record reflects the existence of any genuine issue of material fact, or the possibility of any issue, or if the record raises even the slightest doubt that an issue might exist, summary judgment is improper.”). In fairness to the trial court, we doubt that it granted summary judgment on this theory.

The more challenging issue is whether the duty to use reasonable care in the operation of such large mower tractors on the paved portions of interstate highways is the type of activity for which the duty should be nondelegable. The trial court apparently determined that the record in this case established as a matter of law that this duty could be delegated and had been successfully delegated to Titan. We have considered holding that such an operation is nondelegable as a matter of law in this case. However, given the limited record, we simply hold that the trial court erred in determining that the duty could be delegated and had been successfully delegated to Titan. On remand, the trial court should allow the record to be fully developed concerning the operation of these tractors and then should make a determination as to these issues.

I. THE ACCIDENT

On November 15, 2006, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Edward E. Smyth was driving south on 1-75 near Riverview. His car was one of several cars that were driving in a closely spaced group in the fast lane. The fourth or fifth car in this pack happened to be a state trooper. The trooper testified that the first car slammed on its brakes and that the second or third car veered into the right-hand lane. That car, operated by Mr. Smyth, slammed into a slower moving tank truck carrying fuel. The impact locked Mr. Smyth’s car to the tank truck and breached the tank. At first, the driver of the truck did not realize what had happened. He continued to drive down the interstate with Mr. Smyth’s car trapped to the rear of his trailer. The truck’s large fuel tank caught fire. Mr. Smyth died in the inferno.

The trooper testified that immediately in front of the car that slammed on its brakes, there was a “giant lawn mower type tractor on the interstate.” Although the operator of this tractor had turned on the lights required for normal use of such a mowing rig, the tractor was not mowing on the right-of-way, but rather was physically on the roadway in the fast lane traveling at approximately 25 miles per hour in the dark of night. This is the tractor that was owned by Titan Lawn Service and operated by the owner of Titan, Mr. Williamson.

Further investigation indicated that the vehicle behind Mr. Smyth had been unable [907]*907to come to a stop when the cars all slammed on their brakes. That pickup truck hit Mr. Smyth’s car on its left rear bumper, presumably propelling Mr. Smyth into the lane where he collided with the tank truck.

We note that the record in this case is very unusual for an appeal of a summary judgment of an automobile accident resulting in death. There are no photographs of the accident in the record. There are no photographs of the mower tractor or other vehicles. Although law enforcement was required to complete a Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form, pursuant to section 316.066, Florida Statutes (2006), no such report is contained in our record. No deposition of the investigating officer or of any expert is in our record. Most of the depositions in the record are partial copies or excerpts of depositions. Oddly, there is no information about or deposition from the first driver in this pack who came upon the tractor. There are no affidavits concerning the issue of negligence.

The only report in the record describing the accident is a report prepared by Mes-ser R. Gilchrist. He is a retired DOT safety manager who is employed by ICA as a safety officer. That report describes the accident as follows:

On Thursday I received a call from Ernie Molina informing me that a vehicle crash involving one of ICA’s mowing contractors resulting in a fatality, and injuries to private parties that occurred the previous evening and requesting I conduct an investigation.
I arrived at the Tampa office Friday morning and conducted an investigation of the incident.
I interviewed Ernie Molina and Randy Eddings and was advised of the particulars of this incident. Based on these interviews and my investigation here is a description of what occurred:
At approximately 9:00 PM on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 a large tractor with a batwing mower attached, operated by Franklin Scott Williamson, the owner of Titan Lawn Service, was mowing the median in the south bound lanes of 1-75 traveling northbound. Just north of Gibsonton Drive the operator decided that he was finished and was going to park the mower on the west side of the Interstate. He turned the mower around and now heading southbound moved into the inside lane at approximately 30 MPH attempting to cross three lanes of traffic. This caused traffic to have to dodge the tractor. He continued south for approximately 2 miles and then pulled back into the median. At this time a southbound Hyundai saw the tractor, panic braked to avoid the tractor and was struck in the rear by a southbound Toyota Tundra pick up truck. The impact caused the Hyundai to skid into the side of a passing gasoline tanker truck. This collision caused the two vehicles to catch fire. The driver of the tanker truck pulled the truck off the west side of the road with the Hyundai jammed underneath it. The driver of the tanker truck stopped the vehicle and exited the truck just before the tanker exploded. The driver of the Hyundai was killed in the fire. Causative Factors:
Contract mower operating mower during the hours of darkness and in violation of the hours permitted in the contract. Mower attempting to cross three lanes of fast moving traffic driving at a slow speed in a high speed lane. Mr. Williamson stated that he did not know that he was not permitted to mow at night.1

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Bluebook (online)
113 So. 3d 904, 2013 WL 275573, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 1083, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smyth-v-infrastructure-corp-of-america-fladistctapp-2013.