Indiana Court Weighs Liability in Courthouse Fire

The Indiana Court of Appeal is considering who should be liable for damages caused by a 2009 fire that swept through a historic southern Indiana courthouse.

The appeals court heard oral arguments Thursday from attorneys for the Jefferson County commissioners and several contractors who worked on remodeling the county’s courthouse around the time a May 2009 fire heavily damaged the 1855 building.

The Madison Courier reports a Scott County judge found last year that the county commissioners did not obtain a separate insurance plan for the remodeling project. That meant only the county’s general insurance plan covered the building.

The commissioners appealed that ruling to determine whether the county was protected against damages not directly resulting from the remodeling, such as desks, files and the courthouse’s other contents.