Law, Business and Society 11th Edition by Tony McAdams

Exercise 8

A passenger ran after a train as it was leaving a station. Two railroad employees boosted the passenger aboard, but as they did so a package carried by the passenger fell beneath the wheels of the train and exploded. The package, unbeknownst to the employees, contained fireworks. The force of that explosion caused a scale many feet away to topple over, injuring the plaintiff, Palsgraf. Palsgraf sued the railroad on negligence grounds.
a. Defend the railroad.
b. Decide. Explain. See Palsgraf v. Long Island R.R., 162 N.E. 99 (N.Y. 1928).