Over 2,000 residents sued nuclear facility operators (including DuPont and GE) for injuries from radioactive emissions at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The court ruled that the Price-Anderson Act—the federal law governing nuclear accidents—creates strict liability for nuclear operations and blocks contractors from using the government contractor defense. This means contractors cannot escape liability by claiming they were just following government orders.
If you work on nuclear projects, you cannot rely on the government contractor defense to shield you from liability, even with federal authorization
Strict liability applies to abnormally dangerous nuclear operations—you may be liable for harm regardless of negligence or fault