Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co. v. Erie Lackawanna Railroad Co.
406 U.S. 340 · Decided May 15, 1972 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co. v. Erie Lackawanna Railroad Co. was decided on May 15, 1972 unanimously (8–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Liability, miscellaneous” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 406 U.S. 340 · 92 S. Ct. 1550 · 32 L. Ed. 2d 110 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 62
- Docket number
- 71-107
- Decided
- May 15, 1972
- Argued
- April 17, 1972
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Liability, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..
Full case caption
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co. v. Erie Lackawanna Railroad Co. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1971-108, docket 1971-108-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Liability, miscellaneous”
- Union Oil Co. of California v. the San Jacinto
- Usner v. Luckenbach Overseas Corp.
- Cooper Stevedoring Co., Inc. v. Fritz Kopke, Inc.
- Bangor Punta Operations, Inc. v. Bangor & Aroostook Railroad Co.
- Federal Marine Terminals, Inc. v. Burnside Shipping Co., Ltd.
- Transamerican Freight Lines, Inc. v. Brada Miller Freight Systems, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Superintendent of Insurance of New York v. Bankers Life & Casualty Co.
- McClanahan v. Morauer & Hartzell, Inc.
- Norfolk & Western Railroad Co. v. Nemitz
- Chevron Oil Co. v. Huson
- Victory Carriers, Inc. v. Law
- O'Keeffe v. Aerojet-General Shipyards, Inc.
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