The U.S. Supreme Court case "The John G. Stevens, 1897" involved a dispute over the liability for damages caused by a collision between two vessels, one of which was The John G. Stevens tugboat. The incident occurred in New York Harbor when the schooner William E. Chapman collided with the tugboat while both were trying to avoid another vessel that had crossed their path unexpectedly. In this case, it was determined that both parties shared responsibility for the accident due to navigational errors and failure to adhere strictly to sailing rules regarding right-of-way and avoidance of collisions at sea. However, because there were no specific statutes or regulations governing such incidents at that time, apportioning blame proved challenging for courts dealing with maritime law cases like this one. Ultimately though, based on principles of common law negligence and fault-based liability as well as customary maritime practices recognized internationally (such as those embodied in what's known today as COLREGs - International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea), it was decided by the Supreme Court that each party should bear its own loss resulting from damage sustained during their unfortunate encounter.

In the dissenting opinion for The John G. Stevens case, it was argued that the majority's ruling failed to properly consider maritime law and its principles. The dissent contended that a vessel should not be held liable if it had no way of knowing about or avoiding an obstruction in navigable waters, particularly when those obstructions were caused by another party's negligence. They believed this decision would set a dangerous precedent where ship owners could be held responsible for damages they did not cause and could not prevent. Furthermore, they disagreed with the majority’s interpretation of “fault” under maritime law which seemed to suggest absolute liability regardless of foreseeability or avoidability of harm. This view was seen as contrary to established legal principles requiring causation and fault before imposing liability.