Charles v. United States

EMILIO M. GARZA, Circuit Judge:

The plaintiff, Jerry Charles, Sr., worked on a painting and sandblasting crew, constructing a ship for the United States Navy. Charles sued the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act (“FTCA”), see 28 U.S.C. § 1346(b) (1988), for injuries he suffered in the course of his employment. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the government, see Fed.R.Civ.P. 56, on the grounds that the government was Charles’s employer, and therefore it was immune from suit under the Louisiana worker’s compensation statute. See La.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 23:1032…