Atchison v. Buell
480 U.S. 557 · Decided March 24, 1987 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Atchison v. Buell was decided on March 24, 1987 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part, reversed or vacated it in part, and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Election of remedies” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 480 U.S. 557 · 107 S. Ct. 1410 · 94 L. Ed. 2d 563 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 1385
- Docket number
- 85-1140
- Decided
- March 24, 1987
- Argued
- December 1, 1986
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Election of remedies
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Federal Employers' Liability Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Full case caption
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. Buell
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-056, docket 1986-056-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Election of remedies”
- Offshore Logistics, Inc. v. Tallentire
- United States v. Fausto
- Chick Kam Choo v. Exxon Corp.
- Goodyear Atomic Corp. v. Miller
- Monessen Southwestern Railway Co. v. Morgan
- Northbrook National Insurance Company v. Larry W. Brewer
Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Employers' Liability Act
- St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co. v. Dickerson
- United States v. Marcus S. Smith
- Kenneth Hilton v. South Carolina Public Railways Commission
- Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. Liepelt
- Kelley v. Southern Pacific Co.
- Grunenthal v. Long Island Rail Road Co.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Kelly v. Robinson
- Cargill, Inc. v. Monfort of Colorado, Inc.
- R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Durham County
- 324 Liquor Corp. v. Duffy
- Clarke v. Securities Industry Association
- Jersey Shore State Bank v. United States
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error