NC COA Examines Public Duty Doctrine

The North Carolina Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the North Carolina Industrial Commission in Ray v. NC Department of Transportation. The case involved the death of a motorist and her passengers in 2002 when an eroded section of pavement caused her vehicle to go off the roadway, she corrected, and hit an oncoming car head on. The plaintiff alleged that that NC DOT was negligent in maintaining the roadway and not repairing the eroded section which they knew was dangerous or should have known was a dangerous to motorists. The Commission dismissed the case based on the public duty doctrine which can be used as a defense by the State of North Carolina from certain tort claims. Reversing, the Court of Appeals concluded:

" This case does not involve a failure to inspect or to police, but a failure to repair a defective section of roadway. There is no “hazard created by others” or important discretionary decision which requires the government to be protected under the public duty doctrine."

Burton Craige wrote an amicus brief on behalf of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice for this case. The brief can be accessed here.