In the case of Western Union Telegraph Company v. Wilson, 1908, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of Western Union Telegraph Company. The dispute arose when a telegraph message was sent from Texas to Georgia with an error that led to financial loss for Mr. Wilson who sued for damages in his home state (Georgia). However, the company argued that according to their policy terms and conditions - which were printed on the back of every telegram form - any claim should be filed within one year at New York courts only. The court held that these stipulations were reasonable and not against public policy or law as they did not limit liability but merely prescribed where claims could be brought forward and time limits thereof. Therefore, since Mr.Wilson had failed to file his suit within one year in New York as per agreement he had accepted by using their service, his claim was dismissed.

In the dissenting opinion for Western Union Telegraph Company v. Wilson, it was argued that the majority's decision to hold Western Union liable for damages due to a delayed telegram delivery was incorrect. The dissenting justices believed that there were no grounds for holding the company responsible as they had not acted negligently or in bad faith. They pointed out that telegraph companies are not insurers of messages but merely carriers and should only be held accountable when negligence can be proven. Furthermore, they contended that delays could occur due to various reasons beyond their control such as weather conditions or technical issues which shouldn't make them automatically liable for damages caused by these unforeseen circumstances.