Delaware Code
Chapter 5. HIGHWAYS, ROADS AND BRIDGES GENERALLY
§ 511. Injury to roads and bridges; double damages; jurisdiction of courts; procedure and appeal.

(a) Whoever negligently or wilfully injures or damages any public road, bridge or drain, or any gate, light or other appurtenance maintained and used for the convenience or safety of the traveling public in connection with such road, bridge or drain shall forfeit and pay double damages therefor. If a public road, bridge, drain, gate, light, or other appurtenance is on or along a “Delaware byway”, as defined in § 101 of this title, an additional civil mandatory penalty of $500 must be added to the amount of double damages.
(b) Action for the recovery of such damages, where the road, bridge, drain or other appurtenance is under the jurisdiction and control of the Department, shall be brought in the name of the State, and all money recovered thereby shall be paid to the State Treasurer.
(c) Justices of the peace, the Court of Common Pleas and the Superior Court shall have concurrent jurisdiction of actions under this section, provided that the jurisdiction of justices of the peace shall be limited to cases where the double damage shall not exceed $2,500, and the jurisdiction of the Court of Common Pleas shall be limited to cases where the double damages shall not exceed the sum of $15,000.
(d) In actions before Justices of the Peace, the procedure shall be the same as is provided for actions of trespass before Justices of the Peace, with the right of appeal to the Court of Common Pleas, and, in actions before the Court of Common Pleas, the right of appeal to the Superior Court shall be preserved.

Structure Delaware Code

Delaware Code

Title 17 - Highways

Chapter 5. HIGHWAYS, ROADS AND BRIDGES GENERALLY

§ 501. Use of public road or bridge by railway.

§ 502. Closing of roads during repair.

§ 503. Nuisance; penalty.

§ 504. Entry upon contiguous or adjacent lands or streams; assessment of damages; hindering or obstructing work; penalty.

§ 505. Selling of nonuniform traffic-control devices; penalty.

§ 506. Maintenance priority of roads used for school buses or mail routes.

§ 507. Coordinating new development with local transportation improvements.

§ 508. Dedication of new roads for state maintenance; approval required; security.

§ 509. Highways deemed public roads.

§ 510. Speed limit and weight limits on structure.

§ 511. Injury to roads and bridges; double damages; jurisdiction of courts; procedure and appeal.

§ 512. Injury to roads, bridges, etc.; penalty.

§ 513. Trimming of hedges and removal of trimmings; penalty.

§ 515. Maintenance of unfenced junkyards within certain distance of highways; penalty.

§ 516. Creation or maintenance of nuisance within certain limits.

§ 517. Boulevard corporations.

§ 518. Trash within a certain distance of the highway; penalty.

§ 519. William J. Winchester Bridge.

§ 520. Injury to trees, shrubs, and landscaping.

§ 521. Snow removal in nonmunicipal residential communities.

§ 524. Removal of nonofficial signs from utility poles within state rights-of-way.

§ 525. Maintenance of clear zones within rights-of-way.

§ 526. Restrictions against commercial use of State rights-of-way; site-based enforcement mechanisms.

§ 527. Coordination with other statutes.

§ 528. Restrictions against vehicle sales activities on State rights-of-way.

§ 529. Inspection requirements for bridge owners.

§ 530. Dedication of right-of-way adjacent to a state highway.

§ 531. Connections to roads within restricted age communities.

§ 532. Memorial signage.