Lawson v. Simonsen’s Empirical Analysis
1980
Citation profile
21 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 25 later decisions — most recently October 2025 · most notably Buffalo Township v. Jones (2002), 286 Pa. Super. 101 - Higbee Corporation v. Kennedy (1981)
21 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.
Relationships
Relies on New Castle Orthopedic Associates v. Burns · Brookbank v. Benedum-Trees Oil Co. · Fleck v. Universal-Cyclops Steel Corp. · Justice v. Nesquehoning Valley Railroad · United Natural Gas Co. v. James Bros. Lumber Co.
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 25 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“(1) the nature and quantity of the interest conveyed must be ascertained from the instrument itself and cannot be orally shown in the absence of fraud, accident or mistake and we seek to ascertain not what the parties may have intended by the language but what is the meaning of the words ...; (2) effect must be given to all the language of the instrument and no part shall be rejected if it can be given a meaning ...; (3) if a doubt arises concerning the interpretation of the instrument it will be resolved against the party who prepared it ...; (4) unless contrary to the plain meaning of the instrument, an interpretation given it by the parties themselves will be favored ... ; (5) “to ascertain the intention of the parties, the language of a deed should be interpreted in the light of the subject matter, the apparent object or purpose of the parties and the conditions existing when it was executed” ...”
3 later decisions quote this exact passage“Know All Men By These Presents, That, J.J. Ingraham and Anna Ingraham parties of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of Three Hundred Dollars, lawful money of the United States, duly paid by the railroad company hereinafter mentioned, to us, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, have granted, bargained, sold, released and conveyed unto the Susquehanna and Southern Railroad Company, a corporation organized under the laws of Pennsylvania, its successors and assigns, a strip of land four rods in width, and, through cuts and fills such additional widths as may be needed for slopes, one-half thereof on either side of the center line as now located, of the Susquehanna and Southern Railroad, leading from Sinnemahoning, Pennsylvania, to DuBois, Sykes-ville, & c., through lands of the parties above mentioned, situate in Gibson Township, Cameron County, Pennsylvania. Together with the right to enter upon the said land and lay out, construct, maintain and operate a railroad over and across the lands belonging to the parties above mentioned, taking and using such earth, stones and gravel, as may be needed for grading and filling such road, and hereby fully releasing said railroad company, its successors and assigns, from all liability by reason of the location, construction and operation of the said railroad. A good farm crossing and cattle guard on each side thereof to be built and maintained by said Company.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage
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.