Federal Laws Addressing Liability

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The Federal Drivers Act

Congress enacted the Federal Drivers Act ("Drivers Act"), 28 U.S.C. § 2679(b)-(e), in 1961 to relieve government drivers from the burden of personal liability for claims arising from vehicular accidents occurring during their course of employment. Unlike many employers, the United States neither maintained liability insurance to protect its employees nor assisted them in paying for their own insurance against on-the-job accidents. Congress immunized individual federal drivers from tort liability arising out of accidents caused by their negligence. In lieu thereof, the Drivers Act limited persons injured by federal drivers to statutory remedies against the United States.