Generally, under the theory of “sovereign immunity” the United States may not be sued However, in 1946, the federal government passed the FTCA which granted consent to be sued for the negligent acts of its employees. For example, an Army doctor is an employee of the federal government (as opposed to being an independent contractor, which see). The Federal Tort Claims Act (28 U.S.C. secs 1346, 2671) provides relief to plaintiffs injured by federal employees who were acting within the “scope of their employment”. The FTCA was amended in 1988 when the federal government adopted the Federal Employees Liability Reform & Tort Compensation Act (FELRTCA), codified at 28 U.S.C. sec 2679(b)(1). The amendment provides that suit against the government pursuant to the FTCA is the exclusive remedy for those claims. In other words, the plaintiff cannot also personally sue the negligent doctor.