Sherman County v. Simons 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 case arose when a wagon owned by the plaintiff, Simons, was damaged while crossing a county road. Simons sued the county for damages, arguing that the county was liable for the road's condition. The Supreme Court held that the county was not liable for the damages caused by the road. The Court reasoned that the county was not responsible for the road's condition, as it had not been negligent in its maintenance. The Court further noted that the county had no duty to maintain the road, as it was not a public highway. The Court concluded that the county was not liable for the damages caused by the road. In its decision, the Court established that counties are not liable for damages caused by roads that are not public highways. The Court also established that counties are not liable for damages caused by roads that are not maintained in a negligent manner. This decision has been cited in numerous subsequent cases, and has become an important precedent in determining the liability of counties for damages caused by roads.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Sherman County v. Simons, arguing that the majority's decision was contrary to both law and justice. He argued that under Oregon state law, a county could not be held liable for damages caused by its officers or agents when acting within their authority as public officials. The Court had previously established this principle in numerous cases involving counties and other governmental entities throughout the country; thus, Justice Field believed it should apply here as well. Furthermore, he noted that even if there were any doubt about whether such liability existed under Oregon state law at the time of this case, it would still be unjust to hold a county responsible for actions taken by its officers or agents while they were performing official duties on behalf of the government. Therefore, Justice Field concluded that no liability should attach to Sherman County in this instance and urged his colleagues to reverse their ruling accordingly.