Russel Bruesewitz Petitioners v. Wyeth LLC
562 U.S. 223 · Decided February 22, 2011 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Russel Bruesewitz Petitioners v. Wyeth LLC was decided on February 22, 2011 by a vote of 6–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 562 U.S. 223 · 131 S. Ct. 1068 · 179 L. Ed. 2d 1 · 2011 U.S. LEXIS 1085
- Docket number
- 09-152
- Decided
- February 22, 2011
- Argued
- October 12, 2010
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- Antonin Scalia
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- 42 USCA 300aa
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: Elena Kagan.
Full case caption
Russel Bruesewitz, et al. Petitioners v. Wyeth LLC, Fka Wyeth, Inc., Fka Wyeth Laboratories, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2010-015, docket 2010-015-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- Delbert Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc.
- Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America v. Michael B. Whiting
- Plivia, Inc. v. Gladys Mensing
- National Meat Association v. Kamala D. Harris
- Arizona v. United States
- Andrew M. Cuomo v. the Clearing House Association, L. L. C.
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Delbert Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc.
- Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy v. James W. Stewart III
- Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America v. Michael B. Whiting
- Keith Smith v. Bayer Corporation
- Plivia, Inc. v. Gladys Mensing
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