Railway Company v. Whitton's Administrator was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1871. The case involved a dispute between the Railway Company and the administrator of the estate of a deceased passenger, John Whitton. Whitton had been killed in a train accident and his administrator, William Whitton, sued the Railway Company for damages. The Railway Company argued that the damages should be limited to the value of Whitton's life, as determined by the laws of the state in which the accident occurred. The Supreme Court disagreed, ruling that the damages should be based on the value of Whitton's life as determined by the laws of the state in which the administrator resided. The Court reasoned that the administrator was entitled to the full value of Whitton's life, regardless of the laws of the state in which the accident occurred. This ruling established the principle that damages in wrongful death cases should be based on the laws of the state in which the administrator resides, rather than the laws of the state in which the accident occurred.

In Railway Company v. Whitton's Administrator, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a railway company could be held liable for damages caused by an employee’s negligence. The majority of the court found that it could not, as there was no evidence to suggest that the company had any knowledge or control over its employees' actions. However, Justice Field dissented from this opinion and argued that employers should be held responsible for their employees’ negligent acts if they are committed within the scope of employment. He reasoned that since employers have a duty to exercise reasonable care in selecting competent servants and supervising them while on duty, they should also bear responsibility when those servants fail to act properly and cause injury or damage to another person or property. Furthermore, he noted that allowing companies such immunity would encourage recklessness among their employees due to lack of accountability; thus making it necessary for courts to impose liability upon employers who hire incompetent workers without exercising proper oversight over them during working hours.