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CSX Transportation v. McBride

Docket No. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
10-235 7th Cir. Mar 28, 2011 Jun 23, 2011 5-4 Ginsburg OT 2010

Holding: The Federal Employers Liability Act, which makes railroads liable for the injuries or deaths of their employees resulting in whole or in part from negligence, does not incorporate the proximate cause standards developed in non-statutory common-law tort cases; rather, a railroad causes or contributes to an employee's injury if the railroad's negligence plays any part in bringing about the injury.

Judgment: Affirmed, 5-4, in an opinion by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on June 23, 2011. Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan joined Justice Ginsburg’s opinion in full, while Justice Thomas joined all but Part III-A of the opinion. The Chief Justice filed a dissenting opinion, which was joined by Justices Scalia, Kennedy, and Alito.

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