Thompson v. Jameson was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1803 that dealt with the issue of whether or not an individual could be held liable for damages caused to another person's property due to negligence. The plaintiff, Thompson, argued that he had been injured when his horse and carriage were damaged after being driven over a bridge owned by defendant Jameson which had collapsed without warning. The court found in favor of Thompson and ruled that Jameson was liable for any damage caused as a result of his negligence in maintaining the bridge. This decision established precedent for holding individuals responsible for their actions if they fail to exercise reasonable care towards others' safety or property rights.

In Thompson v. Jameson, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state court had jurisdiction over a case that involved citizens of different states and which arose out of an agreement made in one state but performed in another. The majority opinion held that the state court did not have jurisdiction because it violated Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution which grants federal courts exclusive original jurisdiction over cases between citizens of different states. Justice Chase dissented from this opinion arguing that while there may be some constitutional issues at play here, they should not prevent a state court from exercising its own authority as granted by its legislature to hear such cases. He argued further that if Congress has given permission for such suits then it is within their power to do so and should be respected regardless of any potential constitutional implications.