In the Southern Railway Company v. Hussey case of 1930, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of Southern Railway Company. The dispute arose when Mrs. Hussey sued for damages after her husband was killed while working as a switchman for the railway company in Georgia. She claimed that his death resulted from negligence on part of the company and its violation of Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA). However, it was found that Mr. Hussey had been violating safety rules at work which led to his fatal accident; he had not used a ladder provided by the employer but instead climbed onto moving cars using their side ladders - an act prohibited by workplace regulations due to its inherent danger. The court held that FELA did not apply here because Mr.Hussey's own negligence contributed significantly to his death and thus absolved Southern Railway from liability under this law since it requires employers’ negligence be wholly or partly responsible for injury or death.

In the dissenting opinion for Southern Railway Company v. Hussey, Justice Stone argued that the Georgia statute in question did not violate the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution as it was applied to intrastate commerce and not interstate commerce. He contended that there was no evidence showing that this law had a direct effect on interstate trade or created any form of discrimination against it. The majority's decision, according to him, expanded federal power over state regulations beyond what is constitutionally permissible under the Commerce Clause by assuming potential effects on interstate commerce where none were proven or apparent. Furthermore, he expressed concern about undermining states' rights and their ability to regulate local matters effectively if such broad interpretations of federal powers were accepted.