In Staten Island Railway Company v. Lambert, the Supreme Court of the United States was asked to decide whether a railway company could be held liable for injuries sustained by a passenger who had been thrown from a train due to the negligence of the company's employees. The Court held that the railway company was liable for the passenger's injuries, as the company had a duty to exercise reasonable care in the operation of its trains. The Court noted that the company had a duty to provide a safe and comfortable ride for its passengers, and that it had failed to do so in this case. The Court also held that the company was liable for the passenger's injuries even though the passenger had not paid for a ticket, as the company had a duty to protect all passengers, regardless of whether they had paid for a ticket or not. The Court thus affirmed the lower court's decision, holding that the railway company was liable for the passenger's injuries.

In the case of Staten Island Railway Company v. Lambert, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a railway company could be held liable for damages caused by its negligence in failing to provide sufficient lighting on one of its cars. The majority opinion found that the railway company was not liable because it had taken reasonable steps to ensure safety and there were no special circumstances present which would have made additional lighting necessary. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision and argued that regardless of any precautions taken by the railway company, they should still be held responsible for their failure to provide adequate lighting on their car as this constituted an act of negligence which resulted in harm being done to passengers. He further argued that since railways are common carriers who owe a duty of care towards their passengers, they must take all reasonable measures necessary for passenger safety including providing sufficient illumination at night or when visibility is poor due to weather conditions or other factors.