Federal Tort Claims Act
The Federal Tort Claims Act, also known as the FTCA , is a federal statute which authorizes private tort actions against the United States where, if the United States were a private person, it would be liable to the claimant according to the law of the place where a particular act or omission occurred. The FTCA is codified at 28 U.S.C. Chapter 171 .
In practice, the FTCA makes the United States liable for the acts of its employees in a similar manner to any other employer . That said, the FTCA does not grant the United States liability for the majority of intentional actions of its employees and does not allow for punitive damages .
[Last reviewed in January of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
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