The Silvia’s Empirical Analysis
171 U.S. 462 · 1898
Citation profile
221 federal appellate · 100 district · 9 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 523 later decisions (26 by the Supreme Court) — most recently August 2016 · most notably Mitchell v. Trawler Racer, Inc. (1960), American Banana Company v. United Fruit Company (1909)
221 federal appellate · 100 district · 9 state decisions
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Appellate journey
reviewedthe decision below (from Second Circuit Court of Appeals)
Relationships
Relies on The " Scotland" · The Carib Prince · White v. Butler · Franklin Sugar-Refining Co. v. Silvia
Most-quoted passages
The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 523 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“The test of seaworthiness is whether the vessel is reasonably fit to carry the cargo which she has undertaken to transport.”
15 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majoritye.g. The Southwark · The Jeannie““If the owner of any vessel transporting merchandise or property to or from any port in the United States of America shall exercise due diligence to make the said vessel in all respects seaworthy and properly manned, equipped, and supplied, neither the vessel, her owner or owners, agent, or charterers, shall become or be held responsible for damage or loss resulting from faults or errors in navigation or in the management of said vessel. * * * ””
8 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majoritye.g. The Chattahoochee · The Germanic““This case does not require a comprehensive definition of the words ‘navigation’ and ‘management’ of a vessel, within the meaning of the act of Congress. They might not include stowage of cargo, not affecting the fitness of the ship to carry her cargo. But they do include, at least, the control, during the voyage, of everything with which the vessel is equipped for the purpose of protecting her and her cargo against the ‘inroad of the seas.’ ””
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majoritye.g. The Sandfield · The Germanic
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.