In the case of Brown v. Pacific Coast Coal Company in 1915, the United States Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving workers' compensation laws. The plaintiff, Mr. Brown, was an employee of the defendant company and had been injured while at work due to negligence by his employer. He sought damages under Washington state law which allowed employees to sue their employers for injuries caused by negligence that occurred during employment if they did not have workers’ compensation insurance coverage. The defendant argued that it was immune from such lawsuits because it had complied with a federal statute requiring companies engaged in interstate commerce to provide accident insurance for their employees - thus pre-empting any state law claims. However, the Supreme Court disagreed with this argument and held that compliance with federal regulations did not exempt an employer from liability under state laws unless explicitly stated otherwise in those regulations or statutes themselves. Therefore, since there were no explicit exemptions mentioned within these particular federal rules regarding workplace safety and accident insurance provision; then they could not be used as shields against potential legal actions brought forth based upon violations of relevant local legislation like Washington's worker protection acts.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Brown v. Pacific Coast Coal Company argued that the Washington state law, which held employers liable for injuries sustained by employees due to negligence on part of fellow workers, was unconstitutional. The dissenters believed this law violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause as it deprived businesses of their property without due process. They contended that an employer should not be held responsible for accidents caused by other employees unless there is proof of negligence or fault on part of the employer itself. This view maintained that such laws unfairly burdened businesses and could potentially lead to unjust outcomes where companies are forced to pay damages even when they have taken all reasonable precautions against workplace accidents.