In the 1912 case of Missouri Pacific Railway Company v. Tucker, the U.S Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a railway company could be held liable for injuries sustained by an employee who was working in a dangerous environment without proper safety equipment. The plaintiff, Mr. Tucker, had been injured while attempting to couple two freight cars together and argued that his employer should have provided him with safer tools to perform this task. The defendant countered that they were not responsible as it was common practice at the time for employees to use their own discretion when deciding how best to carry out such tasks. The court ruled in favor of Mr.Tucker stating that employers are obligated under federal law (the Safety Appliance Act) to provide safe work environments and necessary safety equipment for their workers regardless of industry standards or practices at the time. This ruling set a precedent emphasizing employers' responsibility towards ensuring workplace safety.

The dissenting opinion in the Missouri Pacific Railway Company v. Tucker case argued that the plaintiff, Mr. Tucker, was not entitled to damages for injuries sustained while working on a railway construction project because he had assumed the risks associated with his employment. The dissenters believed that it was unreasonable to hold employers liable for accidents occurring in inherently dangerous occupations where employees are aware of and accept these dangers as part of their job duties. They maintained that there were no grounds for negligence on part of the company since they provided adequate safety measures and equipment necessary for such work conditions. Furthermore, they contended that any failure by an employee to use this equipment or follow safety procedures should be considered contributory negligence which would absolve employers from liability.