South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Can you sue a government entity in Florida? The concept of sovereign immunity goes back centuries and is a principle based on English common law that the government cannot be sued unless it consents. Over time, it became clear that the state should not have blanket immunity, but it took time to change the law in order to hold government agencies and their agents accountable for wrongful injury or death.
In 1946, the federal government passed the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), allowing lawsuits against the federal government for injuries that occur on government property due to negligence of government employees when in the course of fulfilling their duties. It did not take long for states to follow suit, and Florida passed Statute 768.28, which provided the same opportunity for justice as the FTCA.
Causes for injury could include failure to maintain a safe environment, wrongful (negligent or reckless) actions, or failure to act appropriately. Wrongful death due to any of these causes is handled somewhat differently than a personal injury claim. If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a government entity, I am very sorry for your loss. I will do all in my power to hold the guilty persons or entities responsible for any injury, loss, or wrongful death that you or your loved one experienced.