In Douglass v. County of Pike, 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, Douglass, was 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 or maintained.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Douglass v. County of Pike, arguing that the majority had incorrectly interpreted a provision of the Illinois Constitution to mean that counties could not be held liable for damages resulting from their negligence. He argued that this interpretation was contrary to both common law and prior decisions by other courts, which allowed such suits against counties when they were negligent or otherwise acted wrongfully. Furthermore, he noted that if governments are immune from liability for their own wrongful acts then citizens would have no recourse when those actions caused them harm. Justice Field concluded his dissent by stating that it is unjust to deny individuals relief simply because they are suing a government entity rather than an individual actor who has committed wrongdoing.