Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. Liepelt
444 U.S. 490 · Decided February 19, 1980 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. Liepelt was decided on February 19, 1980 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Sufficiency of evidence in injury or death compensation” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 444 U.S. 490 · 100 S. Ct. 755 · 62 L. Ed. 2d 689 · 1980 U.S. LEXIS 74
- Docket number
- 78-1323
- Decided
- February 19, 1980
- Argued
- November 5, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Federal Employers' Liability Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. Liepelt, Administratrix
SCDB identifiers: case 1979-030, docket 1979-030-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Sufficiency of evidence in injury or death compensation”
- U.S. Industries/federal Sheet Metal, Inc. v. Director
- St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co. v. Dickerson
- Kelley v. Southern Pacific Co.
- Mullins Coal Co., Inc. of Virginia v. Director
- O'Keeffe v. Aerojet-General Shipyards, Inc.
- Richardson v. Perales
Cases on the same legal provision: Federal Employers' Liability Act
- Atchison v. Buell
- Monessen Southwestern Railway Co. v. Morgan
- United States v. Marcus S. Smith
- Kenneth Hilton v. South Carolina Public Railways Commission
- Edwards v. Pacific Fruit Express Co.
- Hogue v. Southern Railway Co.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Transamerica Mortgage Advisors, Inc. v. Lewis
- P. C. Pfeiffer Co., Inc. v. Ford
- United States v. Kubrick
- Ferri v. Ackerman
- McLain v. Real Estate Board of New Orleans, Inc.
- Hatzlachh Supply Co., Inc. v. United States
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