| Southern Railway Company v. United States | ||||||
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Supreme Court of the United States |
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| Argued March 9–10, 1911 Decided October 30, 1911 |
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| Full case name | Southern Railway Company, Plaintiff in Error, v. United States | |||||
| Holding | ||||||
| The Court held that under the Commerce Clause, the U.S. Congress can regulate safety on intrastate rail traffic because there is a close and substantial connection to interstate traffic. | ||||||
| Court membership | ||||||
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| Case opinions | ||||||
| Majority | Van Devanter, joined by Unanimous | |||||
| Laws applied | ||||||
| Commerce Clause | ||||||
Southern Railway Company v. United States, 222 U.S. 20 (1911),[1] was a decision by the United States Supreme Court which held that under the Commerce Clause, the U.S. Congress can regulate safety on intrastate rail traffic because there is a close and substantial connection to interstate traffic.
Congress had required that all train cars be equipped with couplers as a safety measure. Southern Railway argued that the requirement only applied to train cars crossing state lines and not train cars that operated inside one state.
Contents |
The Safety Appliance Act of March 2, 1893, 27 Stat. 531, c. 196:
The Commerce Clause is plenary to protect persons and property moving in interstate commerce from all danger. No matter the source or destination, U.S. Congress may require all vehicles moving on lanes of interstate commerce to be so equipped with safety devices to avoid danger to persons and property moving in interstate commerce.