Commissioners of Douglas County v. Bolles was a United States Supreme Court case that addressed the issue of whether a county could be held liable for damages caused by a county road. The plaintiff, Bolles, had been injured when his wagon overturned on a county road. He sued the county for damages, claiming that the road was in a dangerous condition. The Supreme Court held that the county could be held liable for damages caused by a county road. The Court reasoned that the county had a duty to maintain the roads in a safe condition, and that the county was liable for any damages caused by its failure to do so. The Court also noted that the county had a duty to warn travelers of any dangerous conditions on the road. The Court's decision established that counties can be held liable for damages caused by their roads. This decision has been cited in numerous cases since, and has been used to establish the principle that counties have a duty to maintain their roads in a safe condition and to warn travelers of any dangerous conditions.

In the case of Commissioners of Douglas County v. Bolles, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a county could be held liable for damages caused by its negligence in failing to repair a bridge. The majority opinion found that counties are not liable for such damages because they do not have any legal duty to maintain bridges or other public works projects. However, Justice Field dissented from this ruling and argued that counties should be held responsible when their failure to act results in harm being done to individuals or property. He reasoned that it is unfair and unjust for citizens who suffer losses due to the negligence of local governments not receive compensation while those harmed by private actors can seek redress through civil suits. Furthermore, he noted that if counties were allowed immunity from liability then there would be no incentive for them to properly maintain public works projects which could lead to further injury and damage down the line.