In the case of Western & Atlantic Railroad v. Henderson et al., 1928, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of Western & Atlantic Railroad. The dispute arose when a train owned by the railroad company collided with an automobile at a crossing, resulting in injuries to passengers within the car. The injured parties sued for damages claiming negligence on part of the railroad company and won their case in lower courts. However, upon appeal to higher courts including Georgia's Supreme Court which upheld these rulings, it was found that there were errors made during trial proceedings affecting judgment against Western & Atlantic Railroad. The U.S Supreme Court held that instructions given to jury members were misleading as they suggested that if any negligence from either party contributed even slightly towards causing accident then both are equally liable under Georgia law; this is not accurate representation of state laws regarding contributory negligence where plaintiff's recovery can be barred or reduced if they're partially responsible for their own harm. Therefore due to misinterpretation and application of local laws leading to unfair verdicts against them, judgments obtained by plaintiffs from previous trials were reversed and cause remanded back down for new trial.

In the dissenting opinion for Western & Atlantic Railroad v. Henderson et al., Justice Stone argued that the majority's decision was inconsistent with previous rulings and principles of federal law. He contended that a state cannot impose liability on a common carrier for injuries to an interstate passenger unless such liability is in accordance with federal regulations or laws governing interstate commerce. In this case, he believed there was no evidence showing the railroad company violated any safety statute or regulation enacted by Congress under its power to regulate interstate commerce. Therefore, he disagreed with imposing liability solely based on Georgia’s negligence law without considering whether it conflicically interfered with national uniformity in regulating railway safety standards as required by Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA). He also expressed concern about potential negative implications of allowing states to independently determine liabilities of railroads involved in interstate commerce which could disrupt uniformity and predictability necessary for smooth operation across different jurisdictions.