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Assault And Battery

Assault and Battery can be serious legal problems whether you are accused of committing these acts, or if you are the victim. Assault occurs when a person commits an act that places the victim in reasonable apprehension of serious bodily harm. For example, brandishing a knife or firearm in connection with an overt threat or threatening action constitutes an assault. Battery occurs when a person wrongfully and deliberately makes physical contact, such as striking another person, pushing him or her, etc.

While assault and battery are also crimes, often the better forum for redressing these actions is in civil court.  This means that a victim of an assault and/or battery files a lawsuit against the perpetrator and seeks money damages in Superior Court. These lawsuits are serious matters both for the Plaintiff and the Defendant. Assault and/or Battery usually constitute malicious and oppressive acts which under California law can entail punitive damages in addition to actual damages. Thus the victim can seek compensation for any medical bills, mental suffering and pain and suffering, and on top of that, punitive damages. Punitive damages can be awarded by courts in amounts sufficient to punish the defendant and deter the defendant and others from similar wrongful conduct.

At Buffington Law Firm, our civil litigation attorneys have successfully litigated numerous assault and battery lawsuits over the years. We have litigated everything from bar fights to neighbor altercations. If you are involved in such a situation either as the accused (defendant) or the victim (plaintiff) we can help you protect your rights. We recommend that you contact us for a no-obligation free legal consultation with one of our experienced civil litigation attorneys.