In the case of Williams v. Great Southern Lumber Company, 1927, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of Great Southern Lumber Company. The plaintiff, Williams had filed a lawsuit against his employer for negligence under Louisiana’s Employer's Liability Act after he was injured while working at their sawmill. He claimed that his injury resulted from defective machinery and inadequate training provided by the company. However, the court found no evidence to support these claims and held that it was not proven beyond reasonable doubt that there was any negligence on part of the defendant which caused or contributed to William's accident. The court also noted that even if such proof existed, under Louisiana law an employee assumes certain risks associated with employment when accepting a job offer; hence liability could not be imposed upon employers for every workplace incident resulting in injury.

In the dissenting opinion for Williams v. Great Southern Lumber Company, Justice Stone argued that the majority's decision to deny compensation to a worker injured while off duty was inconsistent with previous rulings and failed to consider the unique circumstances of his employment. He pointed out that Williams lived on company property in a remote location, making it impossible for him not to be subject to risks associated with this environment even during his time off work. Therefore, he believed any injury sustained there should be considered as arising "out of and in the course of" employment under Louisiana’s Workmen’s Compensation Act. Furthermore, Justice Stone criticized the court's narrow interpretation of what constitutes an 'accident' under this act and suggested it should include unforeseen injuries resulting from conditions created by employment itself rather than just those directly caused by specific tasks performed at work.