St. Louis and San Francisco Railway Company v. Johnston was a Supreme Court case that was decided in 1915. The case involved a dispute between the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway Company and John Johnston, a former employee of the company. Johnston had been injured while working for the company and had filed a lawsuit against the company for damages. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Johnston, finding that the company was liable for his injuries. The Court held that the company had a duty to provide a safe working environment for its employees and that it had failed to do so. The Court also held that the company was liable for the damages caused by its negligence. This case established the principle that employers are responsible for providing a safe working environment for their employees and that they can be held liable for any injuries that occur as a result of their negligence.

In the dissenting opinion of St. Louis and San Francisco Railway Company v. Johnston, Justice Holmes argued that the majority's decision was too broad in its interpretation of a federal statute regarding railroad employees' rights to compensation for injuries sustained on the job. He believed that Congress had not intended such a sweeping ruling when it passed the law, as it would lead to an increase in litigation against railroads and could potentially bankrupt them if they were held liable for every injury suffered by their workers regardless of fault or negligence on behalf of either party. Furthermore, he argued that there should be some sort of limitation placed upon these claims so as to protect employers from excessive liability while still allowing injured workers access to fair compensation for their suffering. Ultimately, Justice Holmes concluded that although Congress had clearly meant to provide protection for railway employees who are hurt at work, this case went beyond what was originally intended by lawmakers and thus should have been decided differently than how it ultimately turned out.