Washer v. Bullitt County was a United States Supreme Court case that addressed the issue of whether a county could be held liable for damages caused by a defective bridge. The plaintiff, Washer, was injured when his horse and wagon fell through a bridge that had been built by the county. Washer sued the county for damages, arguing that the county was liable for the bridge's defects. The Supreme Court held that the county was liable for the damages caused by the bridge. The Court reasoned that the county had a duty to maintain the bridge in a safe condition, and that it had breached that duty by failing to inspect and repair the bridge. The Court also held that the county was liable for the damages even though it had not been negligent in constructing the bridge. The Court's decision established that counties can be held liable for damages caused by defective bridges, even if the county was not negligent in constructing the bridge. This decision has been cited in numerous cases since then, and has been used to establish the principle that counties can be held liable for damages caused by their negligence.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Washer v. Bullitt County, arguing that the majority's decision was contrary to both precedent and common sense. He argued that a state cannot be held liable for damages caused by its officers when acting within their scope of authority, even if they act negligently or maliciously. Furthermore, he noted that it is not necessary for a plaintiff to prove malice on behalf of an officer in order to recover damages from the state; rather, all that is required is proof of negligence or wrongful conduct on behalf of the officer while performing his duties as an agent of the state. Finally, Justice Field asserted that allowing states to be held liable for such actions would create confusion and uncertainty regarding what constitutes proper action by public officials and could lead to increased litigation against states due to fear among citizens about potential liability issues arising out of official acts taken by government employees.