Day on Torts
Tort cases are a rare commodity in the SCOTUS (Thank God) but one was argued earlier this week. A woman tripped on packages and other matters left on her porch (rather than in her mailbox) by the Post Office and and brought suit under the FTCA.
The issue is “whether a claim for personal injury caused by the negligence of a United States Postal Service employee while
delivering mail is barred by 28 U.S.C. ㋔ 2680(b), the exception
to the government’s waiver of sovereign immunity in the
Federal Tort Claims Act for claims “arising out of the loss,
miscarriage, or negligent transmission of letters or postal matter.”
The case is Dolan v. United States Postal Service, 04-848. Read more here. You can get copies of the briefs here.