Paterno v. State of California

Paterno v. State of California was a 1986 bench trial which ruled that the state was liable for the collapse of the Linda dam.

Background
From 15 to 24 February, historical flooding occurred in California due to an intense rainstorm. The flooding caused the Linda levee to collapse, killing two and damaging around 3000 homes.

Lawsuit
In response, in 1986, 3000 residents of Linda, California sued the state of California, seeking reparations.