North Carolina Judge Says Town Can Sue for Dam Failure

A North Carolina judge says the town of Hope Mills can sue companies that built a dam that failed.

The Fayetteville Observer reported that Superior Court Judge Erwin Spainhour said Monday that the companies can be sued for breach of contract. But Spainhour said the town cannot sue the businesses for negligence.

The lawsuit says the companies are responsible for the 2010 failure of a $14 million dam, less than two years after it was completed. It replaced a dam that had failed in 2003.

Town attorney T.C. Morphis says the trial on the lawsuit is scheduled for next July.