Can I Pursue Compensation for Injuries Caused by Assault?

 Posted on November 03, 2020 in Personal Injury

While everyone takes steps to protect their safety, the risk of injury is often present during our daily lives. While a personal injury suffered due to an accident can be difficult to deal with, a situation can become even more problematic when injuries are inflicted intentionally. This has become a major concern in our nation’s current politically charged atmosphere, and disagreements about issues such as wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can sometimes lead to violent outbursts and physical altercations. Those who have been injured due to assault and battery or in bar fights or other situations involving alcohol intoxication should be sure to understand their options for pursuing compensation to address the ways their injuries have affected their lives.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Intentional Injuries?

Injury victims have the right to pursue financial compensation from those who were responsible for the harm they have suffered. In cases involving assault and battery, a victim will typically be able to take legal action against the person who intentionally injured them. By filing a personal injury lawsuit, a victim may be able to recover compensation for the costs of their medical treatment, the income they have lost due to their injuries, and the physical and emotional pain and suffering caused to them and their family.

In addition to the perpetrator of assault, other parties may also be liable for a victim’s injuries. If an assault occurred in a public place, such as a store, restaurant, or bar, the property owner or the tenant in control of the property may be held liable because they failed to take steps to protect their patrons’ safety. A victim may be able to pursue compensation from a property owner or tenant because of negligent security, including in cases where staff members did not break up a fight or remove a person from the premises because they were being violent or belligerent. Negligent security may also involve the failure to provide the proper safety measures on a property, such as inadequate lighting that led to a patron being robbed or attacked outside a store.

In cases involving alcohol, Illinois’ “dram shop” laws may also allow a victim to pursue compensation from a bar or restaurant that sold liquor to a person. In these situations, a victim will need to show that the establishment sold alcohol to the perpetrator of an assault, that this alcohol caused them to become intoxicated, and that the person’s intoxication was the direct cause of the victim’s injuries.

Contact Our Rolling Meadows Personal Injury Lawyers

If you have suffered injuries due to an assault or another situation where a person intended to cause you harm, the attorneys at Newland & Newland, LLP can help you understand your legal options. We will identify all liable parties, and we will work with you to hold them responsible for the damages you have suffered. To set up a free consultation and learn more about how we can help with your case, contact our Palatine assault injury attorneys at 847-797-8000.

Sources:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=21100000&SeqEnd=23000000

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=023500050K6-21