The U.S. Supreme Court case Bradford Electric Light Co., Inc. v. Clapper, Administratrix (1931) revolved around a dispute over the liability of an electric company for damages caused by its power lines to a neighboring property owner's trees. The plaintiff, Mrs. Clapper, argued that the defendant, Bradford Electric Light Company had negligently allowed their power lines to damage her trees and sought compensation for this loss in value of her property as well as punitive damages due to negligence on part of the company. The court ruled in favor of Mrs.Clapper stating that even though she did not own or control the land where the wires were located but only owned adjacent land with overhanging branches from her trees which came into contact with these wires causing them harm; it was still incumbent upon Bradford Electric Light Company to ensure they took necessary precautions so as not cause any harm or damage while transmitting electricity through their overhead cables. This ruling set a precedent emphasizing utility companies' duty towards ensuring safety and preventing foreseeable harms arising out of their operations irrespective whether such harms occur within areas under direct control or influence.

In the dissenting opinion for Bradford Electric Light Co., Inc. v. Clapper, it was argued that the majority's decision to hold a corporation liable for damages resulting from an accident caused by one of its employees contradicted established principles of corporate law and liability. The dissenting justices contended that corporations should only be held responsible for actions taken within the scope of employment or in furtherance of company business, neither condition being met in this case as per their interpretation. They also expressed concern about setting a precedent where companies could be held accountable for any action performed by an employee, regardless if it is related to work or not, which they believed would have far-reaching implications on businesses and their operations.