Ferguson v. Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc.
352 U.S. 521 · Decided February 25, 1957 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Ferguson v. Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc. was decided on February 25, 1957 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Sufficiency of evidence in injury or death compensation” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 352 U.S. 521 · 77 S. Ct. 457 · 1 L. Ed. 2d 511 · 1957 U.S. LEXIS 1565
- Docket number
- 59
- Decided
- February 25, 1957
- Argued
- December 10, 1956
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- William O. Douglas
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- 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 Stanley F. Reed | Dissent | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority |
Did not participate: Hugo L. Black.
Full case caption
Ferguson v. Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 1956-048, docket 1956-048-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Sufficiency of evidence in injury or death compensation”
- Senko v. Lacrosse Dredging Corp.
- Rogers v. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
- Webb v. Illinois Central Railroad Co.
- Herdman v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
- Peak v. United States
- Deen v. Gulf
Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Employers' Liability Act
- Southern Pacific Co. v. Gileo
- Reed v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
- Sinkler v. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
- Pope v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co.
- South Buffalo Railway Co. v. Ahern
- Still v. Norfolk & Western Railway Co.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Thompson v. Coastal Oil Co.
- Holophane Co., Inc. v. United States.
- United States v. Bergh
- Massachusetts Bonding & Insurance Co. v. United States
- United States v. Interstate Commerce Commission
- United States v. Howard
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