Although blockbuster rulings on the Affordable Care Act and
same-sex marriage garnered the limelight in the U.S. Supreme
Court's 2014-2015 term, the Supreme Court also addressed some
more mundane procedural issues. Here are several opinions of
interest to federal court practitioners.
Federal Tort Claim Act time limits are subject to
equitable tolling. United States v. Wong, 135
S.Ct. 1625 (2014).
The Federal Tort Claims Act provides that a tort claim against
the United States "shall be forever barred” unless the
claimant meets two deadlines. First, a claim must be presented to
the appropriate federal agency for administrative review
"within two years after [the] claim accrues.” Second, if
the agency denies the claim, the claimant must file suit in federal
court "within six months” of the agency's denial. In
this case, the claimant missed the filing deadline, but requested
equitable tolling because she had a good reason for filing late.
The district court dismissed
