Washington v. General Motors Corp.
406 U.S. 109 · Decided April 24, 1972 · 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
Washington v. General Motors Corp. was decided on April 24, 1972 unanimously (8–0). Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Natural resources and environmental protection” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 406 U.S. 109 · 92 S. Ct. 1396 · 31 L. Ed. 2d 727 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 150
- Docket number
- 45 ORIG
- Decided
- April 24, 1972
- Argued
- February 28, 1972
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William O. Douglas
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Original jurisdiction
- Issue (SCDB)
- Natural resources and environmental protection
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | 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 |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..
Full case caption
Washington et al. v. General Motors Corp. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1971-095, docket 1971-095-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Natural resources and environmental protection”
- Illinois v. City of MilwaukeeAltered precedent
- Sierra Club v. Morton
- Lake Carriers' Assn. v. Macmullan
- Askew v. American Waterways Operators, Inc.
- United States v. Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corp.
- United States v. District Court in and for the County of Eagle
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