Vera M. English v. General Electric Company

Decided June 4, 1990. Harry Andrew Blackmun delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 89-152 · 496 U.S. 72 (1990) · Cited 1,390 times

Holding

English's state-law claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress is not pre-empted by federal law.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 9–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation & Development Commission · 461 U.S. 190 (1983)
• Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee Corp. · 464 U.S. 238 (1984)
• Rice v. Santa Fe Elevator Corp. · 331 U.S. 218 (1947)
• Shaw v. Delta Air Lines, Inc. · 463 U.S. 85 (1983)
• Hines v. Davidowitz · 312 U.S. 52 (1941)
• Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. · 435 U.S. 519 (1978)
• Duke Power Co. v. Carolina Environmental Study Group, Inc. · 438 U.S. 59 (1978)
• Florida Lime & Avocado Growers, Inc. v. Paul · 373 U.S. 132 (1963)
• Jones v. Rath Packing Co. · 430 U.S. 519 (1977)
• Hillsborough County v. Automated Medical Laboratories, Inc. · 471 U.S. 707 (1985)
• Maryland v. Louisiana · 451 U.S. 725 (1981)
• Amalgamated Ass'n of Street, Electric Railway & Motor Coach Employees of America v. Lockridge · 403 U.S. 274 (1971)
• Farmer v. United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America, Local 25 · 430 U.S. 290 (1977)
• Huron Portland Cement Co. v. City of Detroit · 362 U.S. 440 (1960)
• Schneidewind v. ANR Pipeline Co. · 485 U.S. 293 (1988)
• California v. ARC America Corp. · 490 U.S. 93 (1989)
• Goodyear Atomic Corp. v. Miller · 486 U.S. 174 (1988)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Virginia Uranium, Inc. v. Warren · 587 U.S. 761 (2019)
• Geier v. American Honda Motor Co. · 529 U.S. 861 (2000)
• Gade v. National Solid Wastes Management Assn. · 505 U.S. 88 (1992)
• Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc. · 505 U.S. 504 (1992)
• Kurns v. Railroad Friction Products Corp. · 565 U.S. 625 (2012)
• Crosby v. National Foreign Trade Council · 530 U.S. 363 (2000)
• Sprietsma v. Mercury Marine · 537 U.S. 51 (2002)
• Ingersoll-Rand Co. v. McClendon · 498 U.S. 133 (1990)
• Allied-Bruce Terminix Cos., Inc. v. Dobson · 513 U.S. 265 (1995)
• Freightliner Corp. v. Myrick · 514 U.S. 280 (1995)
• Medtronic, Inc. v. Lohr · 518 U.S. 470 (1996)
• Arizona v. United States · 567 U.S. 387 (2012)
• BFP v. Resolution Trust Corporation · 511 U.S. 531 (1994)
• Saudi Arabia v. Nelson · 507 U.S. 349 (1993)
• Chamber of Commerce of United States of America v. Whiting · 563 U.S. 582 (2011)
• International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement v. Johnson Controls, Inc. · 499 U.S. 187 (1991)
• County of Yakima v. Confederated Tribes & Bands of the Yakima Indian Nation · 502 U.S. 251 (1992)
• Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Assn. · 584 U.S. 453 (2018)
• Branch v. Smith · 538 U.S. 254 (2003)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1990). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).