The garbage truck was a contractor hired by the county — does the county share liability?

The garbage truck was a contractor hired by the county — does the county share liability?

Possibly, depending on the degree of operational control the county retained and whether the contract specifications contributed to the unsafe conditions. Simply paying a private company to collect waste does not make the county automatically liable, but retained control provisions and negligent contractor selection are viable theories. Both the contractor and potentially the county should be investigated early.