The "Margaret."’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

66 federal appellate · 86 district · 7 state decisions

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 187 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “"The tug was not a common carrier, and the law of that relation has no application here. She was not an insurer. The highest possible degree of skill and care were not required of her. She was bound to bring to the performance of the duty she assumed reasonable skill and care, and to exercise them in everything relating to the work until it was accomplished. The want of either in such cases is a gross fault, and the offender is liable to the extent: of the full measure of the consequences. * * * She was bound to know, the channel, how to reach it, and whether, In the state of the wind and water, it was safe and proper to make the attempt to come in with her tow.””

   7 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. In re Shipowners' & Merchants' Tugboat Co. · The M. J. Cummings

2. ““The tug laid her course in a southwesterly direction towards the end of the north pier. Upon reaching it she made a short turn to the starboard around it and entered the harbor. Hie brig followed. She had entirely lost her steerageway, and ceased-to obey her helm. The tug had lost all control over her. She sagged off toward the south pier, and grounded on a bar, which she struck repeatedly with the rise and fall of the water. The tug stopped and then resumed her traction. The port line broke. Presently the starboard line broke also. The brig was thrown by the force of the swell upon the end of the pier.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. The Margaret Thomas