Lillie v. Thompson, Trustee (332 U.S. 459)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided November 24, 1947 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 332 U.S. 459 · 68 S. Ct. 140
- Docket
- No. 206
- Decided
- November 24, 1947
- Term
- October Term 1947
- Vote
- 9–0
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Chief Justice Vinson, Justice Burton, Justice R. H. Jackson, Justice Douglas, Justice Frankfurter, Justice Reed, Justice Black, Justice Rutledge, Justice Murphy
Opinion excerpt
Per Curiam. Petitioner sued for damages under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. The essence of her claim was that she was injured as a result of the respondent’s negligence in sending her to work in a place he knew to be unsafe without taking reasonable measures to protect her. The district court dismissed the complaint for failure to state a cause of action and entered summary judgment for the respondent. The Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed without opinion. 162 F. 2d 716. There is thus a single issue in the case: Could it be found from the facts alleged in the complaint, as supplemented by any uncontroverted allegations by the respondent, that petitioner’s injuries resulted at least in part from respondent’s negligence? Petitioner’s allegations may be summarized as follows: Respondent required her, a 22-year-old telegraph operator, to work alone between 11:30 p. m. and 7:30 a. m. in a one-room frame building situated in an isolated part of respondent’s railroad yards in Memphis. Though respondent had reason to know the yards were frequented by dangerous characters, he failed to exercise reasonable care to light the building and its surroundings or to guard or patrol it in any way. Petitioner’s duties were to receive and deliver messages to men operating trains in the yard. In order for the trainmen to get the messages it was necessary for them to come to the building…
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