Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-110
§5001 Civil Action for Death or Personal Injury in a Place Subject to Exclusive Jurisdiction of United States
Title 28 › PART VI — PARTICULAR PROCEEDINGS › CHAPTER 190 — MISCELLANEOUS › § 5001
Summary
People may sue if someone dies because of another person's negligence or wrongful act on land or property inside a State that the United States controls exclusively; the case is handled the same as if the State had authority there. For nonfatal injuries in those places, the laws of the State where the place is located decide the rights of the people involved.
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §5001
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Death.—
In the case of the death of an individual by the neglect or wrongful act of another in a place subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States within a State, a right of action shall exist as though the place were under the jurisdiction of the State in which the place is located.
(b)Personal Injury.—
In a civil action brought to recover on account of an injury sustained in a place described in subsection (a), the rights of the parties shall be governed by the law of the State in which the place is located.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 500116 U.S.C. 457Feb. 1, 1928, ch. 15, 45 Stat. 54. In subsection (a), the words “civil action” are substituted for “action” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
28 U.S.C. § 5001
Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110