aetna casualty surety argued decided december aetna casualty surety leavenworth colby washington william hyman new york city aetna casualty surety jackson akin albuquerque pro hac vice special leave respondent world fire marine ins abraham frankel asbury park yorkshire ins home ins chief justice vinson delivered opinion cases certiorari present important question federal tort claims may insurance company bring suit name upon claim become subrogated payment insured able bring action question turn requires consideration statute three cases presenting slightly different aspect problem heard complaint alleges employee federal reserve bank new york injured result negligence post office department employee respondent insurance carrier insured federal reserve bank liability workmen compensation duly paid injured person claim new york workmen compensation law complaint alleges injured person failed commence action within one year accident inaction operated according new york assignment insurer cause action district dismissed complaint appeals second circuit reversed remanded cause trial government motion dismiss complaint denied trial found fact employee forest service negligently driven government vehicle vehicle owned one harding causing damages harding insured respondent insurance carrier pursuant terms policy paid insurer subrogated judgment thereupon entered favor harding favor respondent insurance company appeals tenth circuit affirmed nos present situation two insurance companies paid part claim loss occasioned negligence employee bring suits names asking recovery amount paid assured district dismissed complaints motion government appeals third circuit reversed remanded causes granted certiorari cases conflict decisions manifest importance question federal tort claims act provides pertinent part district district wherein plaintiff resident wherein act omission complained occurred sitting without jury shall exclusive jurisdiction hear determine render judgment claim money account damage loss property account personal injury death caused negligent wrongful act omission employee government acting within scope office employment circumstances private person liable claimant damage loss injury death accordance law place act omission occurred subject provisions chapter shall liable respect claims claimants manner extent private individual like circumstances language act indicates congressional purpose treated private person respect torts committed employees except certain specific exceptions enumerated neither terms act legislative history precludes application situation government position terms makes transfers assignments claim upon part share thereof interest therein absolutely null void except assignments made payment claim accordance certain prescribed safeguards includes assignments operation law prohibits suit subrogee name petitioner reads prohibiting transfer claimant substantive rights ultimate recovery insurer procedural requirement insurance carrier sue recover judgment name original claimant american tobacco purpose invoking statute said insure may avoid involvement litigation existence extent subrogation assignment claims insure suits judgments names original claimants able avail statutory rights respect venue counterclaim offset account claims may original claimants pointed provisions statute making void assignment power attorney government contractor protection government hobbs mclean mcgowan parish absence rule government danger becoming embroiled conflicting claims delay embarrassment chance multiple liability martin national surety government contends inconvenience administrative accounting difficulties procedural problems apprehended may involve government subrogees permitted bring suits tort claims act names make apt situation application congressional intent noted outset however courts argument even petition certiorari government contended complete bar recovery subrogee brief argument suggested insurance carrier recover suit brought name insured use insurer citing first time american tobacco supra decision reflecting procedure upon reliance placed reason opinions focused upon whether absolute bar recovery subrogee rather merely bar recovery name subrogee think however even limited somewhat reliance upon untenable first uniform interpretation given statute past years second many affirmative indications congressional intent subrogation claims excluded suit name subrogee tort claims act enacted part statute entitled act prevent frauds upon treasury primary purpose undoubtedly prevent persons influence buying claims might improperly urged upon officers government spofford kirk another purpose upon government relies inferred language statute purpose prevent possible multiple payment claims make unnecessary investigation alleged assignments enable government deal original claimant spofford kirk supra goodman niblack early cases construed statute strictly holding assignments included within statute assignments conferred rights kind upon assignee every claimant upon government creating interest claim spofford kirk supra pages see also national bank commerce downie ann cas nutt knut paul duluth rigor rule early relaxed cases thought productive evils statute designed obviate one first exceptions transfers operation law gillis held provision act creating claims suits assignments may brought name assignee mean inapplicable suits claims referred claims excepted prohibition statute title force law without act parties involuntary assignments compelled law following term case presented assignee bankruptcy sued claim bankrupt held suit maintainable despite ground act congress prevent frauds upon treasury subject consideration gillis case applies two cases voluntary assignment demands government embrace cases transfer title operation law passing claims heirs devisees assignees bankruptcy within evil statute aimed construction given deny parties standing claims erwin construction assignments operation law within prohibition recognized settled law goodman niblack supra repeated approval great many subsequent cases government contends contrary statements cases approving erwin supra assignment operation law always exempt bar addition assignment must kind involve government procedural difficulties previously referred cases held inapplicable ground assignment operation law explained presenting situations government suffer procedural embarrassments cases transfer descent erwin supra consolidation corporations seaboard air line purchase judicial sale corporate reorganization western pacific pointed government may deal substituted representative dealt claimant substitution rights counterclaim said retained universal successor universal assignments operation law give rise controversies existence extent transfer adjudication original claimant trustee receiver administrator without considering whether cases comprehended within think explains exception made transfers operation law cases referred first place always stated flat exception transfers operation law distinguished voluntary transfers cases rest upon premise advanced government never articulated opinions second place consistent exception transfers operation law number times indicated neither purposes contravened transfers operation law goodman niblack supra held language statute transfers assignments claim upon part thereof interest therein broad enough purpose congress include transfers operation law yet held include transfer operation law bankruptcy said include one obvious reason purpose cases harass government multiplying number persons deal danger enlisting improper influences advocacy claim exigencies party held justified required transfer made page italics added see also hager swayne fact administrative problems may unintended products involuntary assignment thought evil within scope statute aimed fraud harassment interpretation nearly century exempted transfers operation law prohibition understanding congress subrogation claims within bar passed tort claims act abundantly clear number different particulars small tort claims act provided heads departments consider ascertain adjust determine claim account damages loss privately owned property amount claim exceed caused negligence officer employee government acting within scope employment claims found due certified congress payment question directed attorney general claim made owner property damaged certified may properly certified made insurance company become subrogated rights owner receive compensation damage suffered attorney general mitchell subrogation transfer operation law right receive payment amount due applies cases voluntary assignment demands government thought however inasmuch question one concerning purpose intent congress enacting small tort claims act body asked interpret statute passing upon subrogation claims certified expressly called attention thereafter subrogation claims names insurance carriers regularly submitted congress consistently approved act repealed present tort claims act attorney general opinion approved congressional acquiescence noted comptroller general opinions compt unique interpretation congress statute thus settled question whether bar subrogation claims small tort claims act language nearly identical present tort claims act permitted recovery account damages loss privately owned property specific reference statute necessary preclude recovery subrogees names inapplicable subrogees clearly view congress enacted tort claims act foreign claims legislation intended result congress explicitly provided claims officers consider ascertain determine pay claims account injury death property loss damage claimants foreign countries claims insured excluding claims subrogees purpose provision enacted fulfill office petitioner contends performed exception found tort claims act although exceptions spelled great particularity significance provision foreign claims statute first congress wished exclude claims subrogees said second congress think performed function similar provision see stat executive departments interpret applicable subrogation claims report hearings sess makes plain bill drafted treasury department required subrogees institute actions subrogors competent jurisdiction restrain original claimant receiving funds government final decision reached receive money assistant general counsel treasury explaining bill stated case gillis stating effect section universal application covered claims every tribunal might asserted indicated language necessary decision transfers assignments compelled law resulting operation law might within purview section time one exception another carved section courts recognize many types adverse claims basis effect suits government including suits based upon assignments operation law subrogation equitable liens hearings subcommittee house committee judiciary sess therefore seriously contended congress executive departments cognizant exemption subrogation claims tort claims act passed broad sweep language assuming liability private person purpose congress relieve consideration private claims fact subrogation claims made substantial part burden also persuasive congress intend claims barred inapplicable government must defend suits subrogees private person rule federal rules civil procedure specifically made applicable tort claims provides action shall prosecuted name real party interest course substantive equitable rights qualifies subrogee paid entire loss suffered insured real party interest must sue name moore federal practice ed paid part loss insured insurer insurers also paid portions loss substantive rights tortfeasor qualify real parties interest cases partial subrogation question arises whether suit may brought insurer alone whether suit must brought name insured use use insurance company whether parties interest must join action practice rights acquired subrogation enforced action law name insured insurer use hall long nashville railroad companies wall american tobacco supra also true suits assignments glenn marbury justice stone characterized rule vestige common law reluctance admit chose action may assigned today formality widely abolished legislation aetna life ins moses federal rules practice obviously unnecessary long true equity garrison memphis insurance admiralty liverpool great western steam phenix insurance rule taken almost verbatim equity rule reason appears practice required cases partial subrogation since insured insurer portions substantive right appear litigation names although either party may sue upon timely motion may compel joinder delaware county diebold safe lock applying state code conformity act moore federal practice ed parties rule federal rules civil procedure pleadings made reveal assert actual interest plaintiff indicate interests others claim additional parties may added stage proceedings motion upon terms may rule true rationale cases parties joined one outside jurisdiction may nevertheless proceed action rule cases like tortfeasors may defend two actions tort may unable assert counterclaims offsets original claimant upon unrelated transactions inapplicable think clearly case objections legal foundation upon rest argument number district courts courts appeals government relied upon doctrine statutes waiving sovereign immunity must strictly construed think congressional attitude passing tort claims act accurately reflected judge cardozo statement anderson hayes construction exemption sovereign suit involves hardship enough consent withheld add rigor refinement construction consent announced decisions courts appeals cases affirmed affirmed justice black dissents justice douglas took part consideration decision case footnotes stat amended action brought new york workmen compensation act provided injured employee taken compensation failed commence action tortfeasor within one year cause action accrued failure shall operate assignment cause action person association corporation insurance carrier liable payment compensation courts appeals seven circuits upheld right subrogees sue tort claims act state farm mutual liability insurance aetna casualty surety yorkshire insurance south carolina state highway old colony insurance national american fire insurance chicago appeals fifth circuit reached contrary conclusion hill judge hutcheson dissenting reargument ordered full bench upon reconsideration original opinion modified judge hutcheson concurring result substantial accordance views dissent expressed formerly section divided immaterial changes appears see contention also made reargument hill appeals fifth circuit took place certiorari granted see note petitioner argument effect prevent assignment substantive rights merely controls method procedure assignee may recover position square conflict spofford kirk justified anything said martin national surety furthermore require real party interest provisions federal rules civil procedure rule disregarded despite fact made specifically applicable suits tort claims act suits government subrogee owns substantive right conducted according old procedures effect prior promulgation federal rules petitioner admits much reliance upon american tobacco say federal rules new interpretation statute incompatible rules expressly incorporated tort claims act must clearly justified stat sections act made unlawful officers members congress interest claims government act claimants penalized bribery undue influencing members congress prohibited destruction withdrawal public records see paul duluth butler goreley hager swayne ball halsell price forrest national bank commerce downie western pacific example transfers intestacy within prohibition cases obviously multiply persons must deal might well embroil conflicting claims stat reported see holtzoff tort claims federal government law federal tort claims act stat house committee report provision law leaves undisturbed parties rights insured insurance companies others become subrogated rights owners property person injured whose death results permits government settle single claimant without necessity inquiry determination relative rights parties members house committee claims aware problem recovery insurance time tort claims act passed demonstrated committee report submitted less two weeks prior passage act subrogation claims presented insurance companies connection crash army airplane empire state building war department recommended congress empire state private claimants paid uninsured losses done refused recommend payment insured losses introduced appropriate sum companies full satisfaction subrogation claims committee made specific reference attorney general mitchell opinion noted since time war department paid subrogation claims less military claims act disapproved department refusal certify claims assertion congress consistently refused recognize subrogation claims barred committee report contains flat denial statement accordance fact cites number subrogation claims favorably acted upon congress bill favorably reported nine days later tort claims act passed stat provided private bill authorize payment money claims suit might brought act extending retroactively claims accruing january since claims involved accrued subsequent date insurance company subrogees brought suit federal district government interposed defense based despite committee specific approval payment directly subrogees defense rejected niagara fire ins formerly see note supra clearly parties familiar test shields barrow parties interest nature final decree made without either affecting interest leaving controversy condition final termination may wholly inconsistent equity good conscience see delaware county diebold safe lock hubbard manhattan trust rogers penobscot mining moore federal practice ed counterclaim statute confers jurisdiction district courts claim demand whatever part plaintiff commencing action offset statute directs deduction judgments allowed claims debts plaintiff therein shall indebted italics added need consider rights counterclaim may lie suits brought cf munsey trust defense supplies lines