Pain and Suffering Damages

An injured plaintiff has the right to recover damages for pain and suffering that he might suffer as a result of a defendant's tortious act against the plaintiff. Pain and suffering damages frequently constitute the largest portion of personal injury awards.

Tort Law Depends upon State Law

Apart from legislation granting a right to sue for a specific harm, personal injury law generally consists of tort law and the civil procedure for enforcing it. This article discusses how tort law depends upon state law.

Defense of Others

In an action against a defendant for an intentional tort, such as battery, the defendant may defend the action by claiming that he or she acted in self-defense. Similarly, under some circumstances, a defendant may claim defense of others as a defense. Defense of others is a proper defense when the person the defendant was trying to defend would have been justified in using force to defend himself or herself.

Invasion of Privacy--Appropriation

The law provides everyone with some basic rights to privacy. Privacy is the general right to be left alone and free from unwanted publicity. Unreasonable invasion of one's privacy causes harm.

Hedonic Damages

In the context of personal injury law, "hedonic damages" are damages to compensate a plaintiff for "loss of enjoyment of life," i.e., a diminished ability to enjoy the day-to-day pleasures of life.