Huling v. Kaw Valley Railway and Improvement Company was a case heard by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1895. The case involved a dispute between the plaintiff, William Huling, and the defendant, Kaw Valley Railway and Improvement Company. Huling had purchased a parcel of land from the company in 1887, and the company had agreed to build a railway line through the property. However, the company failed to build the railway line, and Huling sued for breach of contract. The Supreme Court held that the company had breached its contract with Huling, and awarded him damages. The Court found that the company had failed to fulfill its obligations under the contract, and that Huling was entitled to damages for the breach. The Court also held that the company was liable for the costs of constructing the railway line, as well as for any other damages that Huling had suffered as a result of the breach. The decision in Huling v. Kaw Valley Railway and Improvement Company established the principle that a party who breaches a contract is liable for any damages that the other party has suffered as a result of the breach. This case is still cited today as an example of the importance of upholding contractual obligations.

In Huling v. Kaw Valley Railway and Improvement Company, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a railway company could be held liable for damages caused by its negligence in failing to provide adequate safety measures on its property. The majority opinion of the court found that the railway company was not liable because it had taken reasonable steps to protect against foreseeable risks. However, Justice Harlan dissented from this ruling and argued that under common law principles of liability, a person or entity should be held responsible for any harm they cause due to their own negligence regardless of how much care they took in preventing such an occurrence. He further noted that if companies were allowed to escape liability simply by taking some precautions then there would be no incentive for them to take additional safety measures which could prevent future accidents from occurring.