In a recent article for Westlaw Today, Haynes Boone Partner Daniel Ramish comments on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that a government contractor cannot immediately appeal a trial court’s denial of its derivative sovereign immunity defense.
Read Ramish’s comment below.
"Government contractors perform high-risk work on the federal government's behalf and rely on the 'government contractor defense' to shield them from third-party tort liability when acting within their authority as the government's agent. In Geo Group, the Supreme Court limited this protection, holding it operates as a 'merits defense rather than an immunity from suit. As a result, contractors may be forced to incur substantial litigation costs defending third-party claims even if they are ultimately not liable. This increases costs for all parties and the taxpayer. It also puts contractors at intolerable risk merely for following government direction."
Read the full Westlaw Today article here.
