This case was a dispute between the Illinois Central Railroad Company and the Turrill family. The Turrill family had owned a piece of land that was taken by the railroad company in 1851. The Turrill family sued the railroad company for damages, claiming that the taking of their land was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Turrill family, finding that the taking of their land was unconstitutional and that the railroad company was liable for damages. The Court held that the taking of the land was a violation of the Fifth Amendment, which states that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation. The Court also held that the taking of the land was a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Court ordered the railroad company to pay the Turrill family damages for the taking of their land.

In the case of Illinois Central Railroad Company v. Turrill, Administratrix., the Supreme Court was asked to determine whether a railroad company could be held liable for damages caused by its negligence in failing to provide safe working conditions and equipment for its employees. The majority opinion found that the railroad company was not liable because it had taken reasonable steps to ensure safety and there were no special circumstances present which would have made them responsible for any injuries sustained by their employee. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision on two grounds: firstly, he argued that under common law principles of liability an employer should be held accountable when they fail to take reasonable care in providing a safe workplace; secondly, he argued that even if such common law principles did not apply here then Congress had still imposed upon employers certain duties with respect to safety through various statutes passed over time. Therefore, Justice Field concluded that regardless of whether or not common law applied here the railroad company should still be held liable due to their failure in meeting these statutory obligations regarding worker safety.