Opinion ID: 513301
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Improper Defendant

Text: 5 We affirm the district court's judgment for OSHA. OSHA is not the proper party to be sued under the FTCA. The lower court therefore lacked jurisdiction over Galvin's claims. 2 6 It is beyond dispute that the United States, and not the responsible agency or employee, is the proper party defendant in a Federal Tort Claims Act suit. In a section entitled United States as defendant, the FTCA vests the district courts with exclusive jurisdiction of civil actions on claims against the United States 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. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1346(b) (1982) (emphasis added). The Act goes on to state that any other statute authorizing a federal agency to sue and be sued in its own name does not authorize an action against the agency which is cognizable under the tort claims provision. Instead, a suit against the United States under the FTCA is the exclusive remedy for tort claims arising from the actions of government agencies or employees. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2679(a) (1982). 7 In view of this explicit statutory language, the courts have consistently held that an agency or government employee cannot be sued eo nomine under the Federal Tort Claims Act. E.g., Hughes v. United States, 701 F.2d 56, 58 (7th Cir.), aff'g 534 F.Supp. 352, 354 (N.D.Ill.1982). Thus, an FTCA claim against a federal agency or employee as opposed to the United States itself must be dismissed for want of jurisdiction. Gregory v. Mitchell, 634 F.2d 199, 204-205 (5th Cir.1981); Carr v. Veterans Administration, 522 F.2d 1355, 1356 (5th Cir.1975). 3