In the Urie v. Thompson case of 1948, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of a railroad worker who had developed silicosis as a result of his job. The defendant argued that under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA), they were not liable because Mr. Urie's disease had developed over time and was not due to any specific incident or accident at work. However, Justice Hugo Black writing for the majority held that occupational diseases caused by exposure to harmful substances while on duty are within FELA’s scope even if their effects manifest after many years. This ruling expanded workers' rights and protections against employers regarding long-term health issues related to workplace conditions.

In the dissenting opinion for Urie v. Thompson, Justice Jackson argued that the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA) should not apply to occupational diseases such as silicosis. He contended that Congress intended FELA to cover only traumatic injuries and not slow-developing illnesses caused by long-term exposure to harmful conditions or substances at work. Furthermore, he expressed concern about the potential implications of extending FELA's coverage in this way, including a possible flood of litigation and significant financial burdens on employers. He also questioned whether it was fair or practical to hold employers liable for harm resulting from conditions which were common in many industries and often considered an inevitable part of certain types of work.