On the evening of November 23, 2015, Mitchell Corzine was riding home from college with his friend, Sean Marshall. Sean’s Hyundai Santa Fe turned onto the I-95 on-ramp traveling at approximately 30 mph when he took his eyes off the road for just a second and struck the rear end-end of an illegally parked tractor-trailer that was extending three feet into the roadway. The impact was nothing short of explosive and crushed the entire front of the Hyundai, killing Mitchell instantly.
At the scene, truck driver Michael Hibbert explained to Florida Highway Patrol that he had parked his tractor trailer on the entrance ramp because his tire felt a little “spongy” and he wanted to rest. He failed to turn on his four-way flashers, placed no safety triangles or cones behind his truck, and he was parked illegally between two “no parking” signs.
As with any victim, the parents sought justice to obtain some sense of closure. The insurance carrier for the Hyundai quickly tendered its policy limits, but the carrier for the trucking company refused to do so, instead placing fault entirely on the driver of the Hyundai for striking the parked vehicle. As part of his investigation, partner Joe Landy obtained the audio recording taken from the truck driver by Florida Highway Patrol. In the statement, the truck driver admitted fault for causing the crash. When faced with this admission, coupled with Mr. Landy’s lengthy history of handling wrongful death cases successfully, the carrier responded to the firm’s time limit demand with a tender of their $1 million dollar policy limits.
By seeking justice in the memory of the son, this case will allow the parents to obtain some sense of closure in order to move on with their lives.
