In County of Livingston v. Darlington, 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, Darlington, 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 that Darlington was entitled to recover the damages he had suffered. This case established that a county can be held liable for damages caused by a defective bridge that it has built or maintained.

In the case of County of Livingston v. Darlington, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a county could be held liable for damages caused by its failure to repair a bridge. The majority opinion found that counties were not responsible for such damages and thus dismissed the claim against Livingston County. Justice Field dissented from this decision, arguing that it would lead to an unjust result in which individuals who suffered losses due to negligence on behalf of local governments would have no recourse or remedy available. He argued that if counties are allowed immunity from liability then they will have little incentive to maintain their roads and bridges properly, leading potentially dangerous conditions with no one being held accountable for them. Furthermore, he noted that allowing counties immunity from liability is contrary to common law principles as well as state statutes which provide remedies when public works are negligently maintained or constructed improperly.