In the Central Railroad Company v. Keegan case of 1895, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of Central Railroad Company. The dispute arose when Keegan sued for damages after his property was flooded due to a change in water flow caused by construction work done by the railroad company on their land adjacent to his. The lower court had initially awarded him compensation but upon appeal, it was overturned as it was found that there were no legal grounds for such an award since there wasn't any negligence or malfeasance involved on part of the railroad company and they were within their rights to make improvements on their own property even if those changes inadvertently affected neighboring properties. This ruling established a precedent that unless explicit wrongdoing can be proven, companies are not liable for unintentional damage resulting from lawful activities conducted on their own premises.

The dissenting opinion in the Central Railroad Company v. Keegan case argued that the plaintiff, a railroad worker injured while on duty, should not be barred from seeking damages due to contributory negligence. The dissent emphasized that it was unfair and unjust for an employee to bear all responsibility for an accident when their employer had failed to provide safe working conditions or adequate training. It also pointed out inconsistencies in how contributory negligence was applied across different cases and industries, arguing this demonstrated its inherent inequity as a legal principle. Furthermore, the dissent contended that allowing employers to escape liability through claims of contributory negligence incentivized them not to invest in workplace safety measures - ultimately putting more workers at risk.