Railroad Company v. Johnson was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1872. The case involved a dispute between the Railroad Company and Johnson, a farmer who owned land adjacent to the railroad. Johnson had sued the Railroad Company for damages caused by the construction of the railroad, claiming that the construction had caused his land to become less valuable. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Johnson, finding that the Railroad Company had acted negligently in constructing the railroad and had caused damage to Johnson's land. The Court held that the Railroad Company was liable for the damages caused to Johnson's land, and ordered the Railroad Company to pay Johnson for the damages. The Court's decision in this case established the principle that landowners have a right to be compensated for damages caused by the construction of a railroad. This principle has been applied in numerous cases since then, and has become an important part of the law governing the construction of railroads.

In the case of Railroad Company v. Johnson, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining 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 opinion found that the railroad company was not liable because it had acted reasonably and without fault in providing fences along its right-of-way. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision on two grounds: first, he argued that under common law principles of liability, an individual or corporation should be held responsible for any damage they cause regardless of their level of care; second, he argued that Congress had intended to impose strict liability upon railroads when it passed legislation regulating them. He concluded his dissent by noting that if Congress wanted to limit a railroad's responsibility then it should do so explicitly rather than leaving such decisions up to courts interpreting vague statutes and common law rules.