Can You Be Pulled Into A Personal Injury Lawsuit Because Of A Slap?
From time to time, people get in arguments that cause them to slap each other. Sometimes, the person who was slapped may try to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. This situation is typically rather complicated and may require professional help to understand.
A Slap May Not Be Assault
When you slap somebody, you are committing a physically-aggressive action that is most likely not assault. For example, slapping a friend as a joke or even angrily is typically not assault if you didn't cause serious bodily injury. A person with a bruised ego after being slapped or with a red face simply doesn't count as assault.
However, there is also a chance that a fight may break out after slapping a person. The exact situation here can be a little tricky for some people to understand. Are you in the right if somebody attacks you after a slap? There's a good chance the person who fought you is going to be in trouble for their actions.
Fights Caused By A Slap Are Not Self-Defense
In an instance when somebody attacks you after a slap, they are likely going to be unable to argue self defense. Typically, a slap is not considered serious enough to warrant a self-defense lawsuit. However, there are instances in which that could not be the case. If you were also verbally threatening the person or made them feel threatened, self defense may be argued.
Again, it all depends on the severity of the crime. Beating a person up for a slap on the face is very rarely considered an appropriate reaction. However, if a person attempts to pursue this case against you, it is important to understand ways to defend yourself.
Defenses In Case It Goes To Court
Defense in a personal injury lawsuit like this requires finding a way to argue that you were not to blame. Even if you initially slapped the person and this led to a fight, you may be able to show that they caused the fight by threatening you or being aggressive verbally. You may also show that your slap did not cause personal injury while their attack on you did.
That said, they may still try to argue that you behaved in a way that led to the fight getting worse. For example, the person may have shoved you after you slapped them. If you reacted by jumping on them and increasing the fight severity, you may be liable for their injuries.
Understanding these kinds of cases can be difficult because much of the evidence is based on eye-witness testimony. As a result, it is a good idea to talk to a professional personal injury lawyer to better understand your rights and chances of winning.
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