(Photo courtesy of Julie Levin - KJZZ)

Interstate 10 traffic.

The Arizona Supreme Court will hear a case this week to decide if the state can be held responsible for problems with roads. The case involves a fatal car crash from 2007 that happened on Interstate 10 south of Phoenix.

A car crossed over into oncoming traffic injuring one person and killing two others. A jury held the Arizona Department of Transportation responsible for not having the proper safety equipment in place such as median barriers.

In the initial trial the jury awarded the victim 7.8 million dollars in damages and held the state liable. The state appealed, claiming the damages were excessive and state law immunizes public entities from claims for alleged highway defects as long as the design met the standards at the time the road was built.