Statute that enabled private citizens to sue the government in civil tort actions in federal court.
The Federal Tort Claims Act was passed in 1946 to protect third parties injured by the actions of federal government employees. If a federal employee, acting within the scope of his or her employment, injures a third party, then the federal government can be held liable for the employee’s actions.
Historically, the federal government was protected by the doctrine of sovereign immunity, which prevented a lawsuit’s being filed against a government authority without the government’s consent. The 1946 act limits the protection of the doctrine and allows third parties to seek compensation.
However, when the lawsuit arises out of injury to military personnel, acting within the scope of their service, the Supreme Court held that the government cannot be sued under the act. Vietnam veterans exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange filed a class action suit against the federal government and the herbicide’s manufacturers. In one case, In re “Agent Orange” Product Liability Litigation
Additionally, the Court refuses to impose liability when a private business contracting with the federal government attempts to hold the government responsible for negligent acts performed by the business. The injured third party can seek compensation from the business but not from the government.
However, when the federal government is liable, the Court has enforced the provisions of the act. In Molzof v. United States
Military and the Court