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8 Ill. Ct. Cl. 578

Williams v. State

Court of Claims of Illinois

Decided May 14, 1935

Court of Claims of Illinois · decided 1935-05-14

Relies on Minear v. State Board of Agriculture · Gebhardt v. Village of Lagrange Park · Kinnare v. City of Chicago

Decided 1935-05-14

Mr. Chibe Justice Hollerich

¶1delivered the opinion of the court:

¶2On November 7, 1934 claimant was driving his truck on S. B. I Route No. 34 south of Rudemont, Illinois. He turned off on an approach and attempted to cross a wooden culvert which was being maintained by the respondent, and which appeared to him to be substantial. The culvert collapsed on account of the decayed condition of the sills thereof, and the truck was thereby damaged to the extent of Twenty-eight Dollars and Ninety-five Cents ($28.95).

¶3Claimant filed his claim hereon on January 7, 1935, apparently basing the same upon the negligence of the servants and agents of the respondent in failing to keep such culvert in a proper state of repair.

¶4The Attorney General has filed a motion to dismiss the claim for the reason that the State, in the maintenance of its public highways, is engaged in a governmental function, and is not liable for the negligence of its servants and agents in the exercise of such functions, in the absence of a statute making it so liable. The contention of the Attorney General is in accordance with the previous decision of this court and the well established law of this State. Tuttle vs. State, 5 C. C. R. 3; Braun vs. State, 6 C. C. R. 104; Derby vs. State, 7 C. C. R. 145; Bucholz vs. State, 7 C. C. R. 241; City of Chicago vs. Williams, 182 Ill. 135; Kinnare vs. City of Chicago, 171 Ill. 332; Minear vs. State Board of Agriculture, 259 Ill. 549; Gebhardt vs. Village of LaGrange Park, 354 Ill. 234.

¶5The motion of the Attorney General must therefore be sustained, and the claim dismissed.

¶6Claim dismissed.

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