South Dakota Jury Says County Not Covered for Dairy Lawsuit

A jury ruled Aurora County doesn’t have insurance coverage for a lawsuit filed by a South Dakota dairy farming family.

Thompson Farms says the southeastern South Dakota county put them out of business by imposing a cap on the county’s number of dairy cattle in the late 1990s. The Mitchell Daily Republic reports the family has been seeking more than $5 million in compensation.

A jury in neighboring Davison County concluded on Jan. 6 that a South Dakota insurance fund doesn’t have to pay any damages. The fund provides coverage to local governments.

Lawyers for the South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance argued Aurora County didn’t tell the fund about the possible claim when the county signed up for coverage, even though county officials knew about it.