In the 1963 case Dennis v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co., the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the defendant, Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co., affirming that they were not liable for injuries sustained by an employee due to his own negligence under Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA). The plaintiff, Mr. Dennis, was a railroad worker who had been injured on duty when he slipped and fell while attempting to board a moving train - an action against company rules and safety regulations. He sued his employer claiming it failed to provide him with a safe workplace as required by FELA. However, both lower courts found Mr.Dennis responsible for his injury because he violated established safety procedures without any compelling reason or emergency situation forcing him to do so. The Supreme Court upheld these decisions stating that although FELA is intended to protect workers from their employers' negligence, it does not absolve employees from responsibility for their own reckless actions which lead directly to their injuries.

In the dissenting opinion for Dennis v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co., Justice Douglas argued that the majority's decision to uphold a Colorado statute allowing railroads to abandon unprofitable lines without public hearing or state approval was unconstitutional. He contended that this law violated due process rights by depriving affected communities of their right to be heard before losing access to essential transportation services. Furthermore, he criticized the court's failure to consider whether there were less drastic alternatives available, such as requiring railroads to maintain minimal service on unprofitable lines or providing subsidies for these routes. Ultimately, Justice Douglas believed that this case represented an unwarranted expansion of corporate power at the expense of individual and community rights.