Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Handling Personal Injury Claims in the Seattle Area and Throughout Washington Since 1995

My name is Chris Thayer and I am a personal injury attorney practicing in downtown Seattle. I handle personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death claims throughout the greater Seattle area, including Issaquah, Mercer Island and Kirkland.

I am here to help you.

Call for a free consultation (206) 340-2008

Can I Sue Someone for Punching Me?

Posted Friday, January 21, 2022 by Chris Thayer

Bar fights and physical altercations can often result in serious physical harm. Someone who is punched in the face can sustain severe injuries, including a broken nose, fractured eye sockets and other facial bones requiring facial reconstructive surgery, permanent damage to the eyes, broken teeth, dislocated jaw, and disfiguration. These can leave victims with a damaged sense of self, countless medical bills, and may even affect their ability to work while they recover. If their injury affects their ability to continue in their chosen career, such as if they are a model or a pilot who needs perfect vision, this can result in catastrophic damages.

*Bringing a Lawsuit for Intentional Physical Harm * Usually when we think about personal injury lawsuits we are talking about car accidents and other forms of accidents that resulted due to another party’s negligence. For instance, reckless driving may be a conscious choice, but being in a car crash as a result is still usually an accident resulting from this negligent choice. In cases where harm is intentionally inflicted on another person, such as where someone is punched, physically attacked, shot, assaulted, or battered in any way, a different form of personal injury law applies, which is not based on negligence but on intention.

*Assault vs. Battery * When it comes to intentional torts, both assault and battery can give rise to a claim, although they have very different meanings. Assault occurs when one person causes another to reasonably believe that they are in danger of imminent harm. A common example of assault is pointing a gun at someone or revealing a weapon to them. Depending on the context, this could cause a reasonable person to believe that they were in danger. This is true even if the weapon is not loaded and even if it is not real. It is also true if the weapon is never used or fired. Battery, on the other hand, occurs when the actual physical harm takes place. Battery can occur without assault if there is no warning prior to the harm occurring, such as when someone punches you out of the blue. However, if someone comes up to you, pulls their fist back, and then punches you, the pulling of the fist back would qualify as assault and actually punching you would be the battery.

*Damages for Assault and Battery * Damages for assault and battery include compensation for all medical expenses incurred due to the harm that was caused. Other financial damages, including lost wages, lost earning potential, and the non-economic damages of pain and suffering, which compensate for the physical and emotional trauma of the injury are also available. In some cases, punitive damages may be appropriate, as well as compensation for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The best way to get an accurate estimate of the damages that you are entitled to for your case is to speak to a Washington State personal injury attorney.

*Talk to the Pivotal Law Group * If you have suffered serious physical injuries due to being punched or physically attacked by another person, the experienced personal injury attorneys at the Pivotal Law Group will fight to get you the compensation to which you are entitled. Serving Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Burien, Mercer Island, Issaquah, and the greater Washington State area, our lawyers are ready to help you. Contact the Pivotal Law Group to schedule a consultation today.