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Tort Law

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Submitted By adamlajoie
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The tort law case I have selected is Federal Aviation Administration et al v. Cooper. This case (No. 10-1024) was brought before the United States court of appeals by writ of certiorari and argued on November 30, 2011. Justice Alito delivered his decision on March 28, 2012.
The facts of the case are as follows:
The respondent (Cooper) was a licensed pilot who worked for the FAA. Cooper was diagnosed with human immunodeffiency virus (HIV) which would have prevented him from receiving the necessary medical certificates necessary to operate aircraft under FAA regulations at the time. He intentionally withheld that information from the agency on several occasions in order to receive continued renewals of his medical license certificates under FAA regulations. During this time Cooper applied and received long-term disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
In an attempt to identify medically unfit individuals who were obtaining FAA certifications, the Department of Transportation (DOT) provided the SSA with a list of names of licensed pilots to cross reference with their database in order to identify individuals who were receiving disability benefits while concurrently holding FAA flight certifications. Respondents name was discovered and subsequently his license was revoked and he was indicted for making false statements to a Government agency. Mr. Cooper was fined and sentenced to probation. Later on he filed suit against the Government claiming that the DOT, FAA, and SSA violated the Privacy Act of 1974. The Act specifically allows aggrieved individuals to sue for “actual damages” if the Government willfully or intentionally violates the Act as to cause adverse effect to an individual. In this case, Cooper claimed that the unlawful actions of the Government caused him mental and emotional distress by disclosing his private and

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