In the context of the FTCA, who is typically sued?

In the context of the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), the typical entity that is sued is the United States Government. The FTCA provides a limited waiver of the federal government's sovereign immunity, allowing individuals to sue the government for certain torts committed by its employees while acting within the scope of their employment. This means that if a federal employee, such as a law enforcement officer, causes harm or injury while performing their official duties, the complaint is directed at the government, not the individual officer or their specific agency.

By design, the FTCA seeks to protect government employees from personal liability when acting within the scope of their employment, which reinforces the principle that the government, as the employer, is responsible for the actions of its employees in such cases. This framework ensures that individuals affected by these actions can seek compensation without having to pursue claims against individual officers or agencies directly, which can often be more complicated and less likely to result in a remedy.