United States v. Olson
United States Supreme Court
546 U.S. 43 (2005)
Olson (plaintiff), an injured mine worker, sued the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), alleging a federal mine inspector's negligence contributed to a mine accident; the district court dismissed after finding Arizona law would not necessarily hold a private person liable on these facts, but the Ninth Circuit reversed, reasoning that federal mine inspection was a "unique governmental function" with no private-sector equivalent, and that the FTCA waives immunity wherever a state or municipal entity would be liable under like circumstances.
Whether, under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the United States waives sovereign immunity under circumstances where local law would make a private person liable in tort.