United States v. Standard Oil Company of California et al. (332 U.S. 301)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided June 23, 1947 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 332 U.S. 301 · 67 S. Ct. 1604
- Docket
- No. 235
- Argued
- April 8, 1947
- Decided
- June 23, 1947
- Term
- October Term 1946
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority author
- Justice Rutledge
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Chief Justice Vinson, Justice Burton, Justice Douglas, Justice Reed, Justice Black, Justice Rutledge (wrote), Justice Murphy
- Concurring in the judgment
- Justice Frankfurter
- Dissenting
- Justice R. H. Jackson (wrote)
Opinion excerpt
Mr. Justice Rutledge delivered the opinion of the Court. Not often, since the decision in Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U. S. 64, is this Court asked to create a new substantive legal liability without legislative aid and as at the common law. This case of first impression here seeks such a result. It arises from the following circumstances. Early one morning in February, 1944, John Etzel, a soldier, was hit and injured by a truck of the Standard Oil Company of California at a street intersection in Los Angeles. The vehicle was driven by Boone, an employee of the company. At the Government’s expense of $123.45 Etzel was hospitalized, and his soldier’s pay of $69.31 was continued during his disability. Upon the payment of $300 Etzel released the company and Boone “from any and all claims and demands which I now have or may hereafter have, on account of or arising out of” the accident. From these facts the novel question springs whether the Government is entitled to recover from the respondents as tort-feasors the amounts expended for hospitalization and soldier’s pay, as for loss of Etzel’s services. A jury being waived, the District Court made findings of fact and conclusions of law in the Government’s favor upon all the issues, including those of negligence and contributory negligence. Judgment was rendered accordingly. 60 F. Supp. 807. This the Circuit Court of Appeals…
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