162
Opinion of the Court
injury was the proven negligence of the defendant railroad or "some cause not identified from the evidence." Id., at 503; see id., at 508 ("[T]he inquiry in these cases today rarely presents more than the single question whether negligence of the employer played any part, however small, in the injury or death which is the subject of the suit."). But if the FELA required apportionment among potentially liable tortfeasors, the existence of contributing causes would be highly relevant.
Also significant is the paucity of lower court authority for the proposition that the FELA contemplates apportionment. The federal and state reporters contain numerous FELA decisions stating that railroad employers may be held jointly and severally liable for injuries caused in part by the negligence of third parties,20 and even more recognizing that FELA defendants may bring indemnification and contribution actions against third parties under otherwise applicable state or federal law.21 Those third-party suits would have
20 See, e. g., Jenkins v. Southern Pac. Co., 17 F. Supp. 820, 824-825 (SD Cal. 1937), rev'd on other grounds, 96 F. 2d 405 (CA9 1938); Gilbert v. CSX Transp., Inc., 197 Ga. App. 29, 32, 397 S. E. 2d 447, 450 (1990); Lewis v. National R. Passenger Corp., 176 Misc. 2d 947, 948-951, 675 N. Y. S. 2d 504, 505-507 (Civil Ct. 1998); Gaulden v. Burlington No., Inc., 232 Kan. 205, 210-211, 654 P. 2d 383, 389 (1982); Southern R. Co. v. Blanton, 63 Ga. App. 93, 100, 10 S. E. 2d 430, 436 (1940); Demopolis Tel. Co. v. Hood, 212 Ala. 216, 218, 102 So. 35, 37 (1924); Lindsay v. Acme Cement Plaster Co., 220 Mich. 367, 376, 190 N. W. 275, 278 (1922); Louisville & Nashville R. Co. v. Allen, 67 Fla. 257, 269-272, 65 So. 8, 12 (1914).
21 See, e. g., Mills v. River Term. R. Co., 276 F. 3d 222, 224 (CA6 2002); Gaines v. Illinois Central R. Co., 23 F. 3d 1170, 1171 (CA7 1994); Ellison v. Shell Oil Co., 882 F. 2d 349, 352-354 (CA9 1989); Alabama Great Southern R. Co. v. Chicago & Northwestern R. Co., 493 F. 2d 979, 983 (CA8 1974); Southern R. Co. v. Foote Mineral Co., 384 F. 2d 224, 227-228 (CA6 1967); Kennedy v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 282 F. 2d 705, 708-709 (CA3 1960); Ft. Worth & Denver R. Co. v. Threadgill, 228 F. 2d 307, 311-312 (CA5 1955); Patterson v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 197 F. 2d 252, 253 (CA2 1952); Stephens v. Southern Pacific Transp. Co., 991 F. Supp. 618, 620 (SD Tex. 1998); Tucker v. Reading Co., 335 F. Supp. 1269, 1271 (ED Pa. 1971); Reynolds v. Southern R. Co., 320 F. Supp. 1141, 1142-1143 (ND Ga. 1969); Spielman v. New York, New Haven & Hartford R. Co., 147 F. Supp. 451, 453-454
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