Owner Of Car Is As Liable As Driver
I once heard someone say that in Florida it's ok to lend anything but your car to a friend...I didn't quite understand what that meant until I attended Law School and came across the "Dangerous Instrumentality Doctrine".
Vehicle Owner Equally Responsible
Under Florida Law, the owner of a motor vehicle is liable for the damages and/or injuries caused by another operating his or her vehicle. This rule is the result of the "Dangerous Instrumentality Doctrine" as adopted by the Florida Supreme Court in the case of Southern Cotton Oil Company v. Anderson, 80 Fla. 441, 468, 86 So. 629, 637 (1920) where the Court stated that: "one who authorizes and permits an instrumentality that is peculiarly dangerous in its operation to be used by another on the public highway is liable in damages for injuries to third persons caused by the negligent operation of such instrumentality on the highway by one so authorized by the owner".
