Prince v. Nashville, C. & St. L. Ry.
The petitioner, S. J. Prince, sought workmen's compensation for an injury sustained in October 1924 while employed by the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway as a section hand in Carroll County, Tennessee. The defendant railway appealed the chancellor's judgment, which had awarded Prince compensation. The core defense was that both parties were engaged in interstate commerce at the time of the injury, making the workmen's compensation statute inapplicable and falling under the federal Employers’ Liability Act. The court reviewed several precedents concerning employment in interstate commerce. Ultimately, the court found that the petitioner and defendant were indeed engaged in interstate commerce, thus reversing the chancellor's judgment and dismissing Prince's suit.