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Supreme Court · Decisions

East River Steamship Corp. et al. v. Transamerica Delaval Inc.

The Court held that a manufacturer cannot be held liable in tort for purely economic losses resulting from a defective product that causes damage only to itself and not to persons or other property.

476 U.S. 858 · No. 84-1726 · 1985 term · Burger Court

Decided Jun 16, 1986 · argued Jan 21, 1986

Economic activity · Liability, other than as in sufficiency of evidence, election of remedies, punitive damages

Majority opinion: Harry Blackmun

The voteMajority

9–09 in the majority, 0 in dissent

No dissent (9–0)

Affirmed. East River Steamship Corp. et al. lost.

What this ruling means

Affirmed: the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, so it stands (sometimes with changes the Court made to it).

East River Steamship Corp. et al. was the petitioner, the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the case. “Lost” means the Court did not give that side the result it asked for.

From the Supreme Court Database. A justice who agreed with the result but not the reasoning counts in the majority.

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Summary

The opening of the case’s Wikipedia article: what the case was about and what the Court held.

East River Steamship Corp. v. Transamerica Delaval Inc., 476 U.S. 858 (1986), is a U.S. Supreme Court decision that clarified the scope of products liability under maritime law. The Court held that a manufacturer cannot be held liable in tort for purely economic losses resulting from a defective product that causes damage only to itself and not to persons or other property.

Read the full article on Wikipedia

Data notes

The text is Wikipedia’s (CC BY-SA 4.0), matched to the case by its citation, docket number or name and year, and is not checked against the opinion. The site keeps the article’s opening section, ending on its last full sentence. The one-sentence summary under the title is the Decisions list’s: Wikipedia’s own ruling sentence, or, tagged “AI-written”, one Claude wrote from this opening.

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How the justices voted

Each justice who took part, placed by their Martin–Quinn ideology score for the 1985 term. Filled: the 9 in the majority. Hollow: the 0 in dissent. Colour is the party of the president who appointed them.

More liberalMore conservativeMedianMarshallBrennanBlackmunStevensPowellWhiteO'ConnorBurgerRehnquist

Majority(9)

Dissent(0)

  • None.
Data notes

Each justice’s vote and what they wrote are from the justice-centered file of the Supreme Court Database. “Wrote a concurrence” means the justice sided with the majority and wrote separately; a justice who dissented in part is counted on the side they took overall. A justice who wrote nothing is listed as joining their side.

Positions are each justice’s Martin–Quinn score for the case’s term, the same scores as the Ideology page: negative is more liberal, positive more conservative. A score sums up a justice’s votes across the whole term, so it says where they usually sit, not why they voted as they did here. The median line is the Court’s median justice that term.

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The parties

Who brought the case to the Court, who answered it, and how it got there.

Petitioner
East River Steamship Corp. et al.Water transportation, stevedore
Respondent
Transamerica Delaval Inc.Manufacturer
Reached the Court by
Certiorari (the Court chose to hear it)
Why it was taken
Federal appeals courts had ruled differently on the question
Data notes

The names are the two sides of the case’s title. The description under each is the Supreme Court Database’s category for that party, in its own wording. The petitioner is the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the decision below. “Why it was taken” appears only when the majority opinion says lower courts disagreed or were unsure about the question; reasons that would fit any case (“to resolve the question presented”, “an important question”) are left out.

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The law at issue

The law the Court was asked to apply, and the kind of power it used to decide.

Decided by
Federal common law
Data notes

The Supreme Court Database codes the main constitutional provision, statute or court rule each case turned on, and the basis of the decision: judicial review of a federal or state law, interpreting a statute, supervising the lower courts, and so on. A case can rest on more than one. “Overruled” counts only where the majority opinion says so.

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Timeline

What happened at the Court and how the case got there, newest first.

  1. Jun 16, 1986DecidedDecided · Decided 9–0: affirmed. East River Steamship Corp. et al. lost.
  2. Jan 21, 1986ArguedArgued · Oral argument before the Court.
  3. Not datedTaken upTaken up · The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case (certiorari). Federal appeals courts had ruled differently on the question.
  4. Not datedCourt belowCourt below · Decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit: affirmed, with a dissent.
  5. Not datedBeganBegan · The case began in the New Jersey U.S. District Court.
Data notes

From the Supreme Court Database: the court the case began in, the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed and what that court did, how the case came to the Court, and the dates of argument and decision. The database does not date the steps in the lower courts. Court names are the database’s.

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Other decisions on the same issue

119 other argued cases since 1946 on liability, other than as in sufficiency of evidence, election of remedies, punitive damages, newest first.

  1. Smith & Wesson Brands v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos145 S. Ct. 1556Jun 5, 2025 · 145 S. Ct. 1556Economic activity9–0Unanimous band

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  10. Mohamed Ali Samantar v. Bashe Abdi Yousuf et al.560 U.S. 305Jun 1, 2010 · 560 U.S. 305Economic activity9–0Unanimous band

  11. Rockwell International Corp., et al. v. United States et al.549 U.S. 457Mar 27, 2007 · 549 U.S. 457Economic activity6–27–2 band

  12. Norfolk Southern Railway Company v. Timothy Sorrell549 U.S. 158Jan 10, 2007 · 549 U.S. 158Economic activity9–0Unanimous band

  13. United States v. Joseph Olson, et al.546 U.S. 43Nov 8, 2005 · 546 U.S. 43Economic activity9–0Unanimous band

  14. Norfolk Southern Railway Company v. James N. Kirby, Pty Ltd., dba Kirby Engineering, and Allianz Australia Insurance Limited543 U.S. 14Nov 9, 2004 · 543 U.S. 14Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  15. Jose Francisco Sosa v. Humberto Alvarez-Machain et al.542 U.S. 692Jun 29, 2004 · 542 U.S. 692Economic activity6–36–3 band

  16. Olympic Airways v. Rubina Husain, Individually and As Personal Representative of the Estate of Abid M. Hanson, Deceased, et al.540 U.S. 644Feb 24, 2004 · 540 U.S. 644Economic activity6–27–2 band
  17. Jo Anne B. Barnhart, Commissioner of Social Security v. Sigmon Coal Company, Inc., et al.534 U.S. 438Feb 19, 2002 · 534 U.S. 438Economic activity6–36–3 band
  18. James F. Lewis v. Lewis & Clark Marine, Inc., etc.531 U.S. 438Feb 21, 2001 · 531 U.S. 438Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  19. Jane M. Roberts, Guardian for Wanda Y. Johnson v. Galen of Virginia, Inc., Formerly dba Humana Hospital University of Louisville, dba University of Louisville Hospital525 U.S. 249Jan 13, 1999 · 525 U.S. 249Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  20. Philomena Dooley, Personal Representative of the Estate of Cecelio Chuapoco, et al. v. Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd.524 U.S. 116Jun 8, 1998 · 524 U.S. 116Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  21. Hughes Aircraft Company v. United States, ex rel. William J. Schumer520 U.S. 939Jun 16, 1997 · 520 U.S. 939Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  22. Saratoga Fishing Company v. J. M. Martinac & Company and Marco Seattle Inc.520 U.S. 875Jun 2, 1997 · 520 U.S. 875Economic activity6–36–3 band
  23. Harbor Tug and Barge Company v. John Papai et ux.520 U.S. 548May 12, 1997 · 520 U.S. 548Economic activity6–36–3 band
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  25. Exxon Company, U. S. A., et al. v. Sofec, Inc., et al.517 U.S. 830Jun 10, 1996 · 517 U.S. 830Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
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  29. Albert Howlett v. Birkdale Shipping Co., S. A.512 U.S. 92Jun 13, 1994 · 512 U.S. 92Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
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  33. Bob Reves, et al. v. Ernst & Young507 U.S. 170Mar 3, 1993 · 507 U.S. 170Economic activity7–27–2 band

  34. Estate of Floyd Cowart v. Nicklos Drilling Company, et al.505 U.S. 469Jun 22, 1992 · 505 U.S. 469Economic activity6–36–3 band
  35. Jeanne Farrey, fka Jeanne Sanderfoot v. Gerald J. Sanderfoot500 U.S. 291May 23, 1991 · 500 U.S. 291Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  36. Eastern Airlines, Inc. v. Floyd et al.499 U.S. 530Apr 17, 1991 · 499 U.S. 530Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
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  105. Warren v. United States340 U.S. 523Feb 26, 1951 · 340 U.S. 523Economic activity6–36–3 band
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  107. Affolder v. New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Co.339 U.S. 96Mar 13, 1950 · 339 U.S. 96Economic activity5–36–3 band
  108. Carter v. Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay Railway Co.338 U.S. 430Dec 19, 1949 · 338 U.S. 430Economic activity6–27–2 band
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  111. Cosmopolitan Shipping Co. v. McALLISTER337 U.S. 783Jun 27, 1949 · 337 U.S. 783Economic activity5–45–4 band
  112. Urie v. Thompson, Trustee337 U.S. 163May 31, 1949 · 337 U.S. 163Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
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  114. Lawson, Deputy Commissioner, United States Employees' Compensation Commission, v. Suwannee Fruit & Steamship Co. et al.336 U.S. 198Feb 14, 1949 · 336 U.S. 198Economic activity8–18–1 band
  115. Coray, Ancillary Administrator, v. Southern Pacific Co.335 U.S. 520Jan 3, 1949 · 335 U.S. 520Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
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  117. United States v. Standard Oil Company of California et al.332 U.S. 301Jun 23, 1947 · 332 U.S. 301Economic activity8–18–1 band
  118. Caldarola v. Eckert et al., Doing Business As Thor Eckert & Co.332 U.S. 155Jun 23, 1947 · 332 U.S. 155Economic activity5–45–4 band
  119. Mexican Light & Power Co., Ltd. v. Texas Mexican Railway Co.331 U.S. 731Jun 16, 1947 · 331 U.S. 731Economic activity7–27–2 band
Data notes

Every other orally argued case with a clear vote, from the 1946 term on, that the Supreme Court Database files under the same issue as this one. The database gives each case one issue from a list of about 270 (abortion, search and seizure of vehicles, the death penalty, and so on), whatever law it turned on.

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Official record

Read the full opinion on Justia, the argument audio on Oyez and Wikipedia. Case data from the Supreme Court Database, Version 2026 Release 01, through the 2025 term.