Andrews v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co.
406 U.S. 320 · Decided May 15, 1972 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Andrews v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co. was decided on May 15, 1972 by a vote of 7–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Election of remedies” in the Economic Activity area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 406 U.S. 320 · 92 S. Ct. 1562 · 32 L. Ed. 2d 95 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 106
- Docket number
- 71-300
- Decided
- May 15, 1972
- Argued
- March 22, 1972
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–1
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Election of remedies
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Railway Labor Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Altered precedent
- Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..
Full case caption
Andrews v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1971-106, docket 1971-106-01.
Related decisions
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- The Bremen v. Zapata Off-Shore Co.
- Victory Carriers, Inc. v. Law
- Chevron Oil Co. v. Huson
- McClanahan v. Morauer & Hartzell, Inc.
- Executive Jet Aviation, Inc. v. City of Cleveland
- U.S. Bulk Carriers, Inc. v. Arguelles
Cases on the same legal provision: Railway Labor Act
- Chicago & North Western Railway Co. v. United Transportation Union
- Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Railroad Co. v. United Transportation Union
- Transportation-Communication Employees Union v. Union Pacific Railroad Co.
- Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks v. Florida East Coast Railway Co.
- Gunther v. San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Co.
- Union Pacific Railroad Co. v. Sheehan
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Superintendent of Insurance of New York v. Bankers Life & Casualty Co.
- McClanahan v. Morauer & Hartzell, Inc.
- Norfolk & Western Railroad Co. v. Nemitz
- Chevron Oil Co. v. Huson
- Victory Carriers, Inc. v. Law
- O'Keeffe v. Aerojet-General Shipyards, Inc.
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error