What Are Intentional Torts? Everything You Need to Know

Intentional torts refer to civil wrongs that are committed on purpose, resulting in harm to another individual. Understanding the various types of intentional torts, such as battery and defamation, can help you recognize when you may need to consult an attorney near you for legal guidance.

What Are Intentional Torts? Everything You Need to Know
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Intentional torts refer to civil wrongs that are committed on purpose, resulting in harm to another individual. Understanding the various types of intentional torts, such as battery and defamation, can help you recognize when you may need to consult an attorney near you for legal guidance.
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Explore the essential aspects of intentional torts, including common types like battery, assault, and defamation. If you’ve been harmed by intentional acts, consult an attorney near you to evaluate your personal injury claim and navigate the legal process effectively.
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What Are Intentional Torts? Everything You Need to Know

Definition and Types of Torts

Intentional torts are wrongful civil acts done on purpose. The wrongdoer (tortfeasor) does not need to mean harm, but someone else may end up hurt anyway, such as in a prank. Or, the person can mean harm, such as in domestic violence situations. Both types of cases are examples of intentional torts.
A tort is a wrongful act that causes harm to someone else. In common law, the three main types of torts are:
  • Unintentional torts (negligence)
  • Intentional torts
  • Strict liability torts
 
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Intentional Tort Example

An example of an intentional tort is a punch to the face, which is called battery. In this case:
  • The person intended to make a fist and slam it into the victim's face
  • The person also intended to harm the injured party

Common Intentional Torts

Battery

Battery is the legal term for hitting someone and includes touching someone in an offensive manner, such as in the case of sexual battery.

Assault

An assault is an attempted battery or threatening injury before battery takes place.

False Imprisonment

False imprisonment is "confinement without legal authority," generally restricting another person's movement against their will.

Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

To prove a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED), a plaintiff has to prove that someone else engaged in extreme or outrageous conduct with the intent of disturbing someone else.

Fraud

Fraud is the legal term for lying to someone with the intent to deceive them.

Defamation

Defamation is when someone knowingly says something false about someone else, and that lie causes harm.

Invasion of Privacy

Invasion of privacy varies by state, but generally includes invasion of solitude, public disclosure of private facts, false light, and appropriation.

Trespass

Trespass comes in two forms: trespass to land (real estate) and trespass to chattel (personal property and property damage).

Conversion

Conversion is when someone takes someone else's property and converts it to their own or otherwise damages or destroys it.

Monetary Compensation

Intentional tort cases allow for the recovery of compensatory damages, such as medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. A court may also award punitive damages if the defendant acted egregiously.

Conclusion

If someone's intentional acts injured you, you may have a valid personal injury claim. Speak with a local personal injury lawyer to evaluate the facts of your civil case and provide legal advice.
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