Claims Court
Claims Court, in the United States, a court that hears suits for claims brought by private individuals against the federal government or state governments. Claims courts exist in several states. The federal court is the United States Court of Federal Claims. It hears such cases involving the federal government as breach of contract, disputes over government pensions, injuries caused by the negligence of government employees, or payments for land taken by the federal government. The court's 16 judges are appointed for 15-year terms by the President, who appoints one of them chief judge. The court was established in 1855 as the United States Court of Claims; the present name was adopted in 1992.