In North Missouri Railroad Company v. Maguire, the Supreme Court of the United States was asked to decide whether a railroad company could be held liable for damages caused by a defective locomotive. The plaintiff, Maguire, had been injured when a locomotive owned by the North Missouri Railroad Company exploded. Maguire sued the railroad company for damages, claiming that the company had been negligent in maintaining the locomotive. The Supreme Court held that the railroad company could be held liable for damages caused by the defective locomotive. The Court reasoned that the railroad company had a duty to maintain its locomotives in a safe condition, and that it had breached this duty by failing to properly maintain the locomotive. The Court also held that the railroad company was liable for the damages caused by the defective locomotive, even though the company had not been negligent in its maintenance of the locomotive. In conclusion, the Supreme Court held that the North Missouri Railroad Company was liable for damages caused by a defective locomotive, even though the company had not been negligent in its maintenance of the locomotive. The Court reasoned that the railroad company had a duty to maintain its locomotives in a safe condition, and that it had breached this duty by failing to properly maintain the locomotive.

In North Missouri Railroad Company v. Maguire, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a railroad company could be held liable for damages caused by its negligence in failing to provide adequate fencing along its right-of-way. The majority of the court found that it could not, as there was no legal duty imposed on railroads at that time requiring them to fence their lines. Justice Field dissented from this opinion and argued that while there may have been no existing law imposing such a duty on railroads, they should still be held responsible for any damage resulting from their failure to do so. He reasoned that since the public had an interest in being protected against injury or loss due to negligent acts of corporations like railroads, then those corporations should bear some responsibility for providing reasonable protection against foreseeable harm caused by their operations. Furthermore, he noted that if companies were allowed to escape liability simply because there was no existing law requiring them take certain precautions then it would encourage recklessness and lead people into dangerous situations without warning or recourse when something went wrong.