Scott & Jobalia Construction Co. v. Halifax Paving, Inc. ex rel. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.

A crane owner-lender should not be considered or found legally liable for injuries to a borrower-user's employee merely because of ownership of the crane that lifted the pipe that fell and injured the user’s employee. The ordinary crane has a peculiar dual character or duplicitous nature 1 — while traveling down a public road it is a motor vehicle and, as such, under Florida law it is a dangerous instrumentality and its owner is vicariously liable for injuries it causes when negligently operated by others with the owner’s consent. However, after the crane is no longer being operated as a…