In County of Greene v. Daniel, the Supreme Court of the United States was asked to decide whether a county could be held liable for damages caused by a defective bridge. The plaintiff, Daniel, had been injured when his horse and wagon fell through a bridge that had been built by the county. The county argued that it was not liable for the damages because it had not been negligent in constructing the bridge. The Supreme Court held that the county was liable for the damages caused by the defective bridge. The Court reasoned that the county had a duty to maintain the bridge in a safe condition and that it had breached this duty by failing to inspect the bridge and repair any defects. The Court also noted that the county had received public funds to build the bridge and that it was responsible for ensuring that the bridge was safe for public use. The Court concluded that the county was liable for the damages caused by the defective bridge and ordered the county to pay the plaintiff for his injuries. This case established that a county can be held liable for damages caused by a defective bridge that it has built.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in County of Greene v. Daniel, arguing that the majority's decision was contrary to both law and justice. He argued that a county is not liable for damages caused by its officers when they are acting within their authority, as long as those actions were taken without malice or fraud. Furthermore, he noted that while it may be true that an officer has acted negligently in carrying out his duties, this does not necessarily mean the county should be held responsible for any resulting damage; rather, such responsibility rests with the individual officer himself. Finally, Justice Field concluded by asserting that if counties were held accountable for all negligent acts committed by their officers then no one would ever serve in public office due to fear of personal liability and financial ruin - something which could have disastrous consequences on society at large.