In the case of St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company of Texas v. Alexander in 1912, the U.S Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving an injury to a railway worker and his subsequent compensation claim under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA). The plaintiff, Mr. Alexander was injured while working for St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company and sought damages under FELA which provides broader protections for railroad workers than common law remedies. The company argued that since they were not engaged in interstate commerce at the time of Alexander's accident, FELA did not apply to them as it only covers employees involved in interstate trade activities. The court held that even though Mr.Alexander’s specific task at the time of his injury was not directly related to interstate commerce, he was still covered by FELA because his overall employment with the company served such purposes regularly enough to be considered part of it - thus making him eligible for protection under federal law rather than state laws alone.

In the dissenting opinion for St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company of Texas v. Alexander, it was argued that the court majority had erred in its interpretation and application of federal law regarding employer liability. The dissenting justices believed that the plaintiff's injury did not result from negligence on part of fellow employees but rather due to a failure by the railway company to provide safe working conditions as required by law. They contended that this case should have been considered under state laws governing employers' responsibility for workplace safety, which would likely have resulted in a ruling more favorable to the injured worker. In their view, federal legislation concerning railroad workers' compensation did not supersede these state laws or absolve companies from their duty to maintain safe workplaces.