On April 22, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Hencely holding that state-law tort claims against military contractors operating in combat zones are not automatically preempted by federal law when the contractor's challenged conduct was neither ordered nor authorized by the government.
| less than a minute read
Who Pays: Supreme Court Rejects “Blanket Preemption” and Limits Government Contractor Defense

/Passle/684aaaec517046949f040d52/MediaLibrary/Images/2026-04-30-20-09-02-567-69f3b6de9904c8be9ef2ba9c.jpg)
/Passle/MediaLibrary/Images/2025-09-22-10-35-40-568-68d1267c4212553ec5d659cb.jpg)
/Passle/MediaLibrary/Images/2025-09-22-10-43-35-352-68d12857df36028526d6af03.jpg)
/Passle/684aaaec517046949f040d52/MediaLibrary/Images/2026-04-27-19-14-58-205-69efb5b2ae0593c9843b5300.jpg)