In the 1946 case of Myers v. Reading Company, the United States Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving an employee who was injured while working for a railroad company. The plaintiff, Mr. Myers, argued that his employer (Reading Company) had violated the Federal Employers' Liability Act by failing to provide him with safe working conditions which led to his injury - he slipped and fell due to oil on top of one of their locomotives. However, the court disagreed with this argument stating that it is not within its purview under said act to prescribe specific safety measures or standards for employers in such industries; rather it's up to Congress or administrative agencies like Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). Therefore, even though there might have been negligence from Reading Co., they were not liable as per FELA because no statutory duty was breached according them.

In the dissenting opinion for Myers v. Reading Company, Justice Frank Murphy argued that the majority's decision failed to adequately consider the rights and safety of workers. He contended that Congress intended for employers to be held accountable for maintaining safe working conditions under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA). In his view, this included ensuring that employees were not overworked to a point where their physical condition could contribute to an accident. The majority's ruling absolved employers from liability if they could prove contributory negligence on part of an injured employee - in this case, by showing he had voluntarily chosen to work while fatigued. However, Justice Murphy believed such a defense should not apply when it was foreseeable that fatigue might lead to accidents due its inherent nature as part of railway employment or because employer demands made rest impossible. By allowing companies like Reading Co., which had required Myers work long hours leading up his injury-causing accident, off without any responsibility contradicted FELA’s purpose: protecting railroad workers from dangerous workplace conditions.