Opinion ID: 1133541
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: whether leflore county's compliance with mississippi department of transportation guidelines in the design and improvement of a state aid road entitles it to immunity under the tort claims act

Text: ¶ 16. The county claims that the MTCA contains two other provisions that provide it with immunity, namely § 11-46-9(1)(a) which provides immunity for claims arising out of legislative, judicial or administrative action, or inaction, and § 11-46-9(1)(e) which provides immunity for claims arising out of an injury caused by adopting, or failure to adopt, a statute, ordinance or regulation. Because of these provisions the county argues that the plaintiffs cannot allege that the county was negligent in failing to enact an additional regulation on the roadway even though the county followed State Aid Guidelines. ¶ 17. The plaintiffs assert that the cited sections do not apply to the omissions with which they charge the county because the decision on whether or not to place warning devices in the road to fulfill the duty imposed by § 63-3-305 is not of a judicial or legislative character so as to bring it within the purview of § 11-46-9(1)(a) or (e). The plaintiffs argue that all legislative function regarding this duty was exercised by the Mississippi Legislature when it enacted the statute requiring the county to place and maintain traffic control devices necessary to carry out the provisions of Title 63. The plaintiffs further argue that the duty imposed by Title 63(3) is positively imposed on the county and is a mandatory statutory duty because it provides that the county shall maintain traffic control devices necessary to warn traffic. The plaintiffs argue that the statute should be given plain meaning thereby advancing the legislative intent behind it. ¶ 18. The negligence alleged by the plaintiffs is failure to warn and a lack of ordinary care. As already stated, the plaintiffs are not seeking to assert claims based on the design and improvement of the State Aid Road. The code sections cited by the county, § 11-46-9(1)(a) which provides immunity for claims arising out of legislative, judicial or administrative action, or inaction, and § 11-46-9(1)(e) which provides immunity for claims arising out of an injury caused by adopting, or failure to adopt, a statute, ordinance or regulation, are not applicable to the omissions charged.