If you are driving a local, state or federal government vehicle, you generally are shielded from individual liability for an accident, as long as you were acting within the scope of your job when the accident occurred. This protection is known as sovereign immunity, and accidents involving government vehicles are covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act. At the federal level, there is no distinction when an employee operates a government vehicle while working and when going to and from their place of residence.
The only thing that matters is whether you were acting within the scope of your job duties when the accident happened. But laws of jurisdictions can vary, so there could be situations where a government employee is using a government vehicle, gets in an accident, and is held personally liable. That is why you should consider checking wit your auto insurance company to determine if your policy has enough liability coverage for an accident that occurs when you are driving a government vehicle. If your policy does not have sufficient coverage, you may want to buy more insurance to close this gap in your liability coverage.
From the perspective of the victim, it is more challenging to file a lawsuit against the federal, state, city or town government. But with a skilled personal injury attorney, it can be done.
In most accidents, you have the right as the victim to sue the person who was negligent and caused your injuries. You are entitled to be made who and obtain various damages. But when you are dealing with a government worker who was driving in the course of their duties when the accident happened, you could find yourself not able to obtain damages from the defendant on your own. For that reason, you should always consult with a skilled personal injury attorney immediately if you are in an accident caused by a government employee.
