James Stimpson brought a case against the West Chester Railroad Company in 1846. He claimed that he had been injured while working on their railroad and was seeking compensation for his medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the defendant because they found that Stimpson's injury was not caused by any negligence or fault of the company but rather due to an unavoidable accident. They also held that employers are generally not liable for injuries sustained by employees during work unless there is evidence of negligence or willful misconduct on behalf of the employer. This ruling established an important precedent regarding employer liability which has since been followed in many other cases involving workplace accidents.

In the case of James Stimpson v. The West Chester Railroad Company, Justice McLean delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the plaintiff was entitled to damages for his injuries caused by an accident on the railroad. He believed that since it was foreseeable that passengers would be injured due to negligence or carelessness on behalf of those operating and maintaining the railroad, they should be held liable for any resulting harm. Furthermore, he argued that there is no legal basis upon which one can deny liability when a person has been harmed as a result of another's negligence or carelessness. Therefore, Justice McLean concluded that Mr Stimpson should have been awarded damages from The West Chester Railroad Company for his injuries suffered in this incident.