Bissell v. . the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad Companies.

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment for the plaintiff, holding that even though the contract between the two railroad corporations and the plaintiff was ultra vires and therefore void, the corporations remained liable for the plaintiff's injuries caused by their negligent operation of the train. The court rejected the ultra vires defence as a shield from tort liability and emphasized that corporations, like natural persons, may exceed the powers granted by their charters and be held accountable for the resulting wrongs.