Union Pacific Railway Co. v. Botsford

Union Pacific Railway Company v. Botsford, 141 U.S. 250 (1891), was a case before the United States Supreme Court.

Union Pacific Railway Company v. Botsford
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued January 6, 1891 Decided May 25, 1891
Full case name	Union Pacific Railway Company v. Botsford
Citations	141 U.S. 250 (more) 11 S. Ct. 1000; 35 L. Ed. 734
Court membership
Chief Justice Melville Fuller Associate Justices Stephen J. Field · Joseph P. Bradley John M. Harlan · Horace Gray Samuel Blatchford · Lucius Q. C. Lamar II David J. Brewer · Henry B. Brown
Case opinions
Majority	Gray
Dissent	Brewer, joined by Brown

Background

A railroad passenger, Clara L. Botsford, sustained permanent injuries to her brain and spinal cord when a berth from a sleeping car fell upon her head. She sued the railroad for negligence in the construction of the railroad car which allegedly caused her injuries. The Union Pacific Railway Company claimed that it was entitled, without her consent, to an opportunity to surgically examine her to determine her diagnosis and the extent of her injuries.

Decision

The court disagreed, holding that there was no authority under the common law or statutory law for the trial court to order such an examination: "No right is held more sacred, or is more carefully guarded by the common law, than the right of every individual to the possession and control of his own person, free from all restraint or interference of others, unless by clear and unquestionable authority of law."

See also

• Union Pacific R. Co. v. Cheyenne (1885)
• Kansas Pacific R. Co. v. Dunmeyer (1885)
• Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad (1916)
• Union Pacific Railroad v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (2009)

External links

• Text of Union Pacific Railway Company v. Botsford, 141 U.S. 250 (1891) is available from: Justia  Library of Congress