The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) (60 Stat. 842) permits persons to sue the government of the United States in federal court for money damages for injury or loss of property, or personal injury or death caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any employee of the Government while acting within the scope of his office or employment, under circumstances where the United States, if a private person, would be liable to the claimant in accordance with the law of the place where the act or omission occurred. (28 U.S.C.A. § 1346(b))
However, Congress did not categorically waive sovereign immunity in the FTCA.
The act contains thirteen exceptions, which release the federal government from any liability for enforcing unconstitutional statutes, for losing letters in the post office, for actions of the military in time of war, for damages caused by the fiscal operations of the Treasury Department or regulation of the monetary system, for collecting custom duties, for claims arising in a foreign country, for most intentional torts, and for several other miscellaneous kinds of claims (28 U.S.C.A. § 2680).