Rhode Island sued 13 companies in August that have worked on the now-defunct bridge. Most of them are asking a judge to dismiss the case.

(WJAR) — Lawyers for the companies Rhode Island is suing over the Washington Bridge failure packed Providence Superior Court Tuesday arguing a judge should throw the case out. It marked the first hearing since the state filed the suit against 13 companies, who did design, inspection, or construction work on the bridge, in August.

The state of Rhode Island’s lawsuit against 13 companies accused of doing negligent work on westbound Washington Bridge finally reached the courtroom Tuesday morning — where defense attorneys are pushing for a swift dismissal.

The companies argue that the state failed to exercise care and maintenance.