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Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§3761 Settlement of Claims Generally

Title 22 › CHAPTER 51 — PANAMA CANAL › SUBCHAPTER I — ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATIONS › Part 4 — Claims for Injuries to Persons or Property › subpart i — general provisions › § 3761

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Panama Canal Commission can settle and pay claims for property damage, personal injury, or death that come from operating the Panama Canal or its related facilities. It may pay no more than $50,000 for any one claim. Awards must come from funds made available to the Commission. If a person accepts a payment, they cannot later sue the United States or any U.S. employee who was acting in their job about the same matter. Except as allowed by section 3776 of this title, people may not bring a lawsuit against the United States, the Commission, or its officers or employees for these claims. Lawsuits against officers or employees are still allowed for harms caused outside their job duties or for intentional injuries. The rules in section 1346(b) and chapter 171 of title 28 do not apply to these claims.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §3761

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Claims for injury to, or loss of, property or personal injury or death arising from operation of Panama Canal
Subject to the provisions of this part, the Commission may adjust and pay claims for injury to, or loss of, property or for personal injury or death, arising from the operation of the Panama Canal or related facilities and appurtenances.
(b)Limitation on amount of claims
The Commission may pay not more than $50,000 on any claim described in subsection (a).
(c)Source of award; release
An award made to a claimant under this section shall be payable out of any moneys made available to the Commission. The acceptance by the claimant of the award shall be final and conclusive on the claimant, and shall constitute a complete release by the claimant of his claim against the United States and against any employee of the United States acting in the course of his employment who is involved in the matter giving rise to the claim.
(d)Action for damages on claims cognizable under this part; action against officers or employees of United States for injuries resulting from acts outside scope of their employment
Except as provided in section 3776 of this title, no action for damages on claims cognizable under this part shall lie against the United States or the Commission, and no such action shall lie against any officer or employee of the United States. Neither this section nor section 3776 of this title shall preclude actions against officers or employees of the United States for injuries resulting from their acts outside the scope of their employment or not in the line of their duties, or from their acts committed with the intent to injure the person or property of another.
(e)Applicability of provisions of section 1346 and chapter 171 of title 28
The provisions of section 1346(b) of title 28 and the provisions of chapter 171 of such title shall not apply to claims cognizable under this part.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–106 struck out “appropriated for or” after “any moneys”. 1987—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–203 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “No claim for an amount exceeding $50,000 shall be adjusted and paid by the Commission under the provisions of this subpart.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 3761

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110