Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.

Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co. is a landmark legal case that established the principle that a defendant is only liable for harm if that harm was a foreseeable result of their actions. In the case, a man attempting to catch a train was assisted onto the platform by railway employees, who then accidentally caused a package to fall. The package, which contained fireworks, exploded and injured Palsgraf nearby. The court ruled that the railroad wasn't liable because the injury was not a foreseeable consequence of their actions, emphasizing the importance of foreseeability in establishing duty of care in negligence cases.