In the 1894 case of Lehigh Valley Railroad Company v. Kearney, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Kearney, a worker who was injured while working for the railroad company. The court held that under common law principles and statutory provisions, an employer is liable for injuries sustained by its employees due to negligence on part of other employees or superiors. In this case, Kearney was injured when he fell from a car because there were no handholds or guardrails provided as safety measures - which constituted negligence on part of his employer i.e., Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. Therefore, it was decided that the company must compensate him for his injuries.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Lehigh Valley Railroad Company v. Kearney argued that the majority's decision to hold the railroad company liable for damages was incorrect. The dissent contended that there was no evidence presented at trial showing negligence on part of the railroad company, and thus it should not be held responsible for injuries sustained by Kearney while he was working as a brakeman. They believed that Kearney assumed certain risks when he took up his job, including potential accidents or mishaps due to inherent dangers associated with such work. Therefore, unless clear proof of negligence could be demonstrated against Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, they should not bear liability for workplace accidents like this one.