The Excelsior case was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of a ship's crew being able to sue for wages. The case involved the Excelsior, a ship owned by the Excelsior Steamship Company. The crew of the Excelsior had not been paid their wages for several months and had filed a lawsuit against the company. The company argued that the crew was not entitled to sue for wages because they were not employed by the company, but rather by the ship's captain. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the crew, finding that the crew was indeed employed by the company and thus had the right to sue for wages. The Court held that the crew was employed by the company, and that the company was responsible for paying the wages. The Court also held that the crew had the right to sue for wages even if the captain had not paid them. This ruling established the principle that a ship's crew has the right to sue for wages regardless of who their employer is.

In the case of The Excelsior, a majority opinion was reached that held that an owner of a vessel could not be liable for damages caused by its crew members’ negligence. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision and argued that the owner should be responsible for such damages. He reasoned that under maritime law, owners are obligated to provide competent crews and if they fail in their duty to do so then they should bear responsibility when those crews cause damage or injury due to their negligence. Furthermore, he noted how it would be unjust to allow owners who have failed in their duties as employers off the hook while leaving injured parties without any recourse for compensation. In conclusion, Justice Field believed that allowing shipowners immunity from liability would create an unfair situation where victims were left uncompensated despite having suffered harm through no fault of their own.