Joseph P. Thredgill, Administrator of Archibald Goodloe, Deceased (Appellant) brought a case against John M. Pintard to the Supreme Court in 1851. The Appellant argued that he was entitled to certain funds from the estate of Archibald Goodloe which had been paid out by Pintard as executor and trustee for the estate prior to his death. The Supreme Court held that although it may have been an error on behalf of Pintard not to pay over these funds before his death, this did not entitle the Appellant any right or claim against him after his death since no legal obligation existed between them at this point in time; thus affirming the decision made by lower courts and dismissing all claims made by Thredgill against Pintard's estate.

In the dissenting opinion of Joseph P. Thredgill, Administrator of Archibald Goodloe, Deceased v. John M. Pintard, Justice Catron argued that the court should have found in favor of the appellant and reversed the decision made by a lower court to dismiss his claim for damages against Mr. Pintard due to negligence resulting in death. The justice noted that under Tennessee law at this time there was no statute or precedent which prohibited an action from being brought against another person for wrongful death caused by their negligence; thus it was not necessary for any special act of legislation to be passed before such an action could be taken as had been suggested by some members on the bench during oral arguments prior to this ruling. Furthermore, he argued that even if such a statute did exist then it would still not prevent recovery since statutes are only meant to modify existing common law principles rather than completely abrogate them altogether - something which had clearly not happened here given how well established these types of claims were within English jurisprudence long before they ever became part of American legal tradition as well