Posey v. Tennessee Valley Authority, 8536.

• Decision Date: 10 December 1937
• Docket Number: No. 8536.,8536.
• Citation: 93 F.2d 726
• Parties: POSEY v. TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit

93 F.2d 726 (1937)

POSEY v. TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY.

No. 8536.

Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

December 10, 1937.

W. T. Murphree, of Gadsden, Ala., for appellant.

James Lawrence Fly, General Counsel, Tennessee Valley Authority, and William C. Fitts, Jr., Solicitor, Tennessee Valley Authority, both of Knoxville, Tenn., for appellee.

Before SIBLEY, HUTCHESON, and HOLMES, Circuit Judges.

SIBLEY, Circuit Judge.

Posey sued the Tennessee Valley Authority in the District Court to recover for a physical injury received while he was employed by the Authority as a laborer in constructing Wheeler Dam. There were counts seeking recovery under the Employers' Liability Act of Alabama, Code, §§ 7598, 7600, 7601, and § 7599, as amended by Gen.Acts 1933, Ex.Sess., p. 118, under the Workmen's Compensation Act of Alabama, Code, §§ 7534-7597, as amended, and for negligence under the common law. The Authority by demurrers contended that the statutes of Alabama were inapplicable to it as an agency of the United States, nor was the common law, but that the TVA Act, 16 U.S.C.A. § 831 et seq., had provided as an exclusive remedy relief under the United States Employees' Compensation Act, 5 U.S.C.A. § 751 et seq.; but if otherwise, the Alabama Compensation Law would apply exclusively, and suit under it is barred by its limitation of one year from the injury; and that no case for recovery under the common law was alleged because it appeared that there was no negligence and the risk of the employment was patent and was assumed. The count under the Alabama Compensation Act was withdrawn, it being concededly barred by limitation; but the District Judge thought that law exclusively applicable, and sustained the demurrers to the other counts. His order sustaining the demurrers is general, and will be supported by any sufficient ground. The remedies available to an employee of the Authority who is injured while working in Alabama are for decision.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporation created by Act of Congress, 48 Stat. 58, § 1, 16 U.S.C.A. § 831, for the purpose of managing certain properties of the United States developed in consequence of the World War at Muscle Shoals, Ala., and of building further dams on the Tennessee river and its tributaries to improve navigation and control floods, and to dispose of surplus electricity generated thereby. There is no capital stock. The operations are paid for by appropriations from the Treasury of the United States. The lands acquired belong to the United States. The great functions of the Authority are governmental in nature and might have been performed directly by the officers of government. But a corporation consisting of three publicly appointed officials was created, and by section 4(b) of the act, 16 U.S.C.A. § 831c(b), it was given power to sue and be sued in its corporate name. Notwithstanding the corporate entity and its subjection to suit, the Authority is plainly a governmental agency of the United States, and except as Congress may otherwise consent, is free from state regulation or control. McCulloch v. Maryland, 4 Wheat. 316, 4 L.Ed. 579; Johnson v. Maryland, 254 U.S. 51, 41 S.Ct. 16, 65 L. Ed. 126. It may be emphasized that it is not a corporation created under the general laws of some state or territory, whose stock the United States happen to own, as was true of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, and the Panama Railroad Company.

But Congress did consent that this agency might be sued. It is questioned in argument whether these general words, if unqualified, would create liability to suit in all cases in which commercial corporations could be sued, or only in cases in which the United States can be sued, excluding especially cases of tort for which by a consistent policy the United States have heretofore declined to subject themselves to suit. We need not face and decide the question because the consent to suit is qualified, reading thus: "Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Act chapter the Corporation * * * (b) May sue and be sued in its corporate name." If an unqualified liability to suit in all cases had been intended, the provision for it would not have been preceded by the words of exception. We have only to look at the preceding section of the act, section 3, 16 U.S.C.A. § 831b, for the otherwise specific provision applicable here.

That section deals comprehensively with employees of the Authority. Evidently Congress regarded the employees as being substantially employed by the United States, and therefore takes off the fetters of the civil service regulations which otherwise might apply. There follow provisions about the rates of wages; and lastly, foreseeing numerous employees engaged in extensive and perhaps dangerous work, it is provided: "Insofar as applicable, the benefits of the Act chapter 15 of Title 5, entitled `An Act to provide compensation for employees of the United States suffering injuries while in the performance of their duties, and for other purposes,' approved Sept. 7, 1916, as amended, shall extend to persons given employment under the provisions of this Act c...