High Court Decision on Fatal Trench Collapse Is 'Devoid of Justice,' Dissenters Say

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that a municipality that hired an uninsured contractor to perform work on a sewer project could not be held vicariously liable for the contractor's negligence in causing a fatal trench collapse over the sharp dissent of two justices. Case: Hill v. City of Horn Lake, No. 2012-CA-01748-SCT, 01/15/2015, published. Facts: The City of Horn Lake hired the Phillips Construction Co. to perform work on a sewer project, although the terms of the contract of hire were never reduced to writing. While Phillips employees Bertram Hill and David Mooneyhan were w...