Harris v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
361 U.S. 15 · Decided October 19, 1959 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Harris v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co. was decided on October 19, 1959 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion 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
- 361 U.S. 15 · 80 S. Ct. 22 · 4 L. Ed. 2d 1 · 1959 U.S. LEXIS 262
- Docket number
- 81
- Decided
- October 19, 1959
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- 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 Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Jurisdictional dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| 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 | |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Dissent |
Did not participate: Potter Stewart.
Full case caption
Harris v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
SCDB identifiers: case 1959-001, docket 1959-001-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Sufficiency of evidence in injury or death compensation”
- Conner v. Butler
- Sentilles v. Inter-Caribbean Shipping Corp.
- Inman v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.
- Davis v. Virginian Railway Co.
- Dick v. New York Life Insurance Co.
- Glus v. Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal
Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Employers' Liability Act
- Sinkler v. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
- Still v. Norfolk & Western Railway Co.
- Southern Pacific Co. v. Gileo
- Reed v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
- Dennis v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co.
- Gillespie v. United States Steel Corp.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Conner v. Butler
- United States v. Seaboard Air Line Railroad Co.
- Sentilles v. Inter-Caribbean Shipping Corp.
- West v. United States
- Braen v. Pfeifer Oil Transportation Co., Inc.
- Inman v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.
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