Riebe Well Drilling, Inc., a Washington Corporation v. United States

24 F.3d 248 NOTICE: Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3 provides that dispositions other than opinions or orders designated for publication are not precedential and should not be cited except when relevant under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. RIEBE WELL DRILLING, INC., a Washington corporation, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Defendant-Appellee. No. 92-36903. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted March 10, 1994. Decided May 5, 1994. Before: HUG, HALL and THOMPSON, Circuit Judges. 1 MEMORANDUM * OVERVIEW 2 Riebe Well Drilling, Inc. (Riebe) sued the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act ( 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2671 et seq.) to recover for property damage and lost profits resulting from the collapse of an old wooden bridge while Riebe's well drilling rig was crossing it. The bridge is located on property held in trust by the United States and crosses an irrigation canal right-of-way owned by the Wapato Irrigation Project (WIP), a division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Riebe claims the United States breached a duty to maintain, inspect and/or repair the bridge. After a bench trial, the district…