In County of Jasper v. Ballou, 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, Ballou, 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 it to pay Ballou for his injuries. This case established that counties can be held liable for damages caused by defective bridges that they have built.

In County of Jasper v. Ballou, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a county could be held liable for damages caused by its failure to maintain a bridge in good repair. The majority opinion found that counties are not liable for such damages because they do not have the authority to levy taxes or otherwise raise money for repairs without legislative approval. Justice Field dissented from this ruling, arguing that counties should be held responsible when their negligence causes injury and damage to individuals who use public roads and bridges maintained by them. He argued that it would be unjust if an individual were injured due to a county's neglect yet unable to receive compensation simply because the county lacked sufficient funds or authority from the legislature. Furthermore, he noted that allowing counties immunity from liability would encourage them to act negligently since they had no incentive or fear of consequence for failing in their duty of care towards citizens using public roads and bridges under their jurisdiction.