Florida jury clears Prospect Transport in Taylor crash case
Table of Contents
Case Background
Michael Taylor filed a personal injury lawsuit against Angel Manuel Santiago and Prospect Transportation, Inc. in the Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Broward County, Florida. The case, arose from a motor vehicle collision that occurred on March 15, 2024. The Plaintiff sought damages exceeding $50,000, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorneys' fees.
Cause
The collision took place at or near 7105 W McNab Road in Broward County, Florida. According to Court filings, Angel Manuel Santiago operated a motor vehicle owned by Prospect Transportation, Inc. while working within the course and scope of his employment with the company. The Plaintiff alleged that Santiago negligently operated and/or maintained his vehicle, causing it to collide with the Plaintiff's motor vehicle.
Injury
The Plaintiff claimed he suffered bodily injuries including a permanent injury to the body as a whole. He reported experiencing pain and suffering of both a physical and mental nature, disability, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, and inconvenience. Taylor also alleged loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life and aggravation of an existing condition. Additionally, his motor vehicle sustained damage in the crash.
Damages Sought
Taylor sought compensation for hospitalization expenses, medical and nursing care and treatment, loss of earnings, and loss of ability to earn money. He claimed his losses were either permanent or continuing and that he would suffer these losses in the future.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff: Michael Taylor
· Counsel for Plaintiff: Nicholas Borrego, Esq.
· Experts for Plaintiff: Hoa Kim Thai | Carlos De La Hoz | Jesse Shaw | Steven J. Svabek | Giancarlo Perez | Omar Hussamy | Sergio Chacin Romero | Modesto Sanchez-Torres | Lilian Carlisle | Juan M. Escobar | Curt Liebman | Ralph Rizk
Defendants: Angel Manuel Santiago | Prospect Transportation, Inc.
· Counsel for Defendants: Michael A. Sastre | Blake Alan Partridge
· Experts for Defendants: Rolando Garcia | Kenneth Stein | Rawson L. Wood | Nicole Bonaparte | Kenneth Taylor
Claims
Negligence Against Angel Manuel Santiago
The Plaintiff argued that Santiago owed him a duty to use reasonable care while operating the motor vehicle. Taylor claimed Santiago breached that duty when he negligently operated and/or maintained the vehicle, resulting in the collision. The Plaintiff sought damages for all injuries and losses that directly resulted from the Defendant's negligence.
Vicarious Liability Against Prospect Transportation, Inc.
Taylor brought two counts of vicarious liability against Prospect Transportation, Inc. First, he claimed the company was vicariously liable because Santiago was their agent, employee, servant, and/or independent contractor acting within the course and scope of his employment at the time of the accident. Second, the Plaintiff invoked Florida's dangerous instrumentality doctrine, arguing that Santiago operated a motor vehicle owned by Prospect Transportation with the company's knowledge and express or implied consent.
Defense
Prospect Transportation, Inc. denied the Plaintiff's allegations and raised multiple affirmative defenses. The defense argued that any damages were caused either in whole or in part by the Plaintiff's own negligence under Florida comparative fault law. They also contested the existence of proximate cause between the alleged injuries and any negligence on their part.
The Defendants asserted entitlement to protections under Florida Tort Reform Bill 837 and SB 836, which limit the admissibility of medical bills and health insurance payments. They further claimed that the Plaintiff's injuries resulted from pre-existing injury or disease, or subsequent accident, injury, or disease unrelated to the collision. The defense challenged whether the medical treatment received was related, reasonable, or necessary, and disputed the amounts billed.
Additionally, the Defendants argued that the Plaintiff failed to meet the permanent injury threshold required under Florida Statute 627.737. They contended that the Plaintiff's injuries did not consist of significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death.
Jury Verdict
The case proceeded to a jury trial in December 2025. On December 5, 2025, the jury returned its verdict in favor of the Defendants. In response to the first question on the verdict form, asking whether the negligence on the part of Angel Manuel Santiago was a legal cause of loss, injury, or damage to Michael Taylor, the jury answered "No."
Because the jury found that Santiago's negligence was not a legal cause of Taylor's alleged injuries, the verdict form instructed the jury not to proceed further. The jury did not reach questions regarding comparative negligence, allocation of fault, medical expenses, permanent injury determination, or damages for pain and suffering.
The jury foreperson signed the verdict form on December 5, 2025. The defense verdict meant that Michael Taylor recovered no damages from either Angel Manuel Santiago or Prospect Transportation, Inc.
This outcome represented a complete victory for the Defendants, as the jury determined that the Plaintiff failed to establish the fundamental element of causation necessary for his negligence claims. The defense strategy of challenging proximate cause proved successful, preventing the case from reaching the damages phase of deliberation.
Court Documents