Kernan v. American Dredging Co.
355 U.S. 426 · Decided February 3, 1958 · 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
Kernan v. American Dredging Co. was decided on February 3, 1958 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Liability, miscellaneous” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 355 U.S. 426 · 78 S. Ct. 394 · 2 L. Ed. 2d 382 · 1958 U.S. LEXIS 1772
- Docket number
- 34
- Decided
- February 3, 1958
- Argued
- November 21, 1957
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Liability, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Jones Act or Death on the High Seas 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 | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Dissent | |
| 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Dissent |
Full case caption
Kernan, Administrator, v. American Dredging Co.
SCDB identifiers: case 1957-047, docket 1957-047-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Liability, miscellaneous”
- Sinkler v. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
- Baltimore & Ohio Railway Co. v. Jackson
- United States for the Benefit of Sherman v. Carter
- Crumady v. the Joachim Hendrik Fisser
- United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association v. Halecki
- Robert C. Herd & Co., Inc. v. Krawill Machinery Corp.
Cases on the same legal provision: Jones Act or Death on the High Seas Act
- Butler v. Whiteman
- McAllister v. Magnolia Petroleum Co.
- Senko v. Lacrosse Dredging Corp.
- Romero v. International Terminal Operating Co.
- Sentilles v. Inter-Caribbean Shipping Corp.
- Schulz v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Gibson v. Thompson
- Palermo v. Luckenbach Steamship Co., Inc.
- Black v. Magnolia Liquor Co., Inc.
- Stinson v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co.
- Schaffer Transportation Co. v. United States
- American Trucking Associations, Inc. 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