Suing the state or federal government for the actions of a governmental employee is often much more difficult than suing a private citizen. The state of Arizona and the federal government both have what is referred to as sovereign immunity - these governmental entities are shielded from lawsuits by private citizens in many instances. This is true even if the government's employee intentionally hurts someone.
For example, suppose a school teacher sexually abuses a child. (Public school teachers are government employees.) Under Arizona law, the school (and the government) claim immunity for the teacher's actions unless the school actually knew that the teacher had a propensity to commit such acts. Thus, even if the abuse of the child would be a felony under Arizona law, and even if the school would have known about the teacher's propensity for abuse if they had done a background check, the school is not liable for the harm to the child. (In some cases, recovery may still be obtained under federal law.)
Most motor vehicle accidents involving a governmental vehicle are excluded from sovereign immunity. If you know that the person responsible for injuring you is a governmental employee, please contact the knowledgeable personal injury attorneys at Plattner Verderame for help with your claim immediately - you only have 180 days from the injury to file a formal notice of claim. (Like most rules, there are some exceptions to when the 180 days starts to run - but the rules favor the government.)
