In the case of Kansas City Southern Railway Company v. C.H. Albers Commission Co., the U.S Supreme Court dealt with a dispute over freight charges between a railway company and a commission company. The plaintiff, Kansas City Southern Railway Company, sued to recover unpaid freight charges from C.H. Albers Commission Co., who had received shipments but refused to pay for them on grounds that they were not the owners of the goods shipped nor did they benefit from their sale or use. The court ruled in favor of Kansas City Southern Railway Company stating that under common law principles and provisions of Interstate Commerce Act, it was irrelevant whether or not Albers owned or benefited from goods; what mattered was that they accepted delivery which made them liable for payment.

In the dissenting opinion for Kansas City Southern Railway Company v. C.H. Albers Commission Co., it was argued that the majority's decision to hold a railway company liable for damages caused by an unexpected flood was unjustified and set a dangerous precedent. The dissenting justices believed that while carriers should be held responsible for losses resulting from their negligence or failure to exercise due care, they should not be expected to foresee and guard against every possible act of nature, such as floods or storms, which are beyond human control. They contended that this ruling would place an unreasonable burden on transportation companies and could potentially disrupt commerce if these businesses were forced to bear all risks associated with transporting goods under unpredictable weather conditions.