John Conard was a merchant from Philadelphia who had purchased an insurance policy from the Atlantic Insurance Company of New York. The policy covered any losses that might occur due to damage or destruction of goods while they were being transported by sea. When his shipment arrived in Philadelphia, it was discovered that some of the goods had been damaged and destroyed during transit. Conard filed a claim with the Atlantic Insurance Company for reimbursement but they refused to pay him on grounds that he did not provide them with sufficient proof regarding how much money he lost as a result of the damages and destruction. Conard then sued the company in court, arguing that since he provided all necessary documents required under their contract, they should be held liable for his losses regardless if there is no exact amount specified in those documents. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of John Conard and ordered Atlantic Insurance Company to reimburse him for his losses according to what could be reasonably inferred from all available evidence presented before them at trial.

Justice Johnson wrote the dissenting opinion in John Conard v. The Atlantic Insurance Company of New York, arguing that the majority's decision was too broad and could lead to unjust outcomes. He argued that a contract should be interpreted according to its plain meaning and not by what is "reasonable" or "unreasonable." He further stated that if parties had intended for something other than what was written in their agreement, they would have included it in the language of their contract. Additionally, he noted that courts should only intervene when there is an ambiguity present within a contract; otherwise, contracts should be enforced as written without judicial interference. Ultimately, Justice Johnson concluded his dissent by asserting that while some contracts may appear unreasonable on their face due to unforeseen circumstances at the time of formation, such agreements are still binding unless proven otherwise through evidence presented before a court of law.