Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

Types of Intent

When alleging that an individual committed an intentional tort against you, it is very important to prove that the person had intent when committing the action. Without intent, an intentional tort cannot be proven. There are three types of intent.

The first type of intent is the type where a person purposefully does something. He or she goes into a situation and thinks “I am going to hit John Smith.” This is the easiest type of intent to understand because it is so basic. A person plans on doing something and then does it.

The next type of intent is the type where a person can be reasonably certain that an outcome will occur if he or she does something. So, for example, when a person throws a heavy ball into a crowd, he or she can be reasonably certain that a person will be struck by the ball and it is reasonable to expect someone to be hurt by the ball.

The final type, transferred intent, allows for the transfer of intent between different parties. So if Person A is standing in front of Person B pointing a gun at him and Person C is standing behind Person B, if Person C feels apprehension of immediate or impending harm, he too can allege that Person A assaulted him.

Contact a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been assaulted or a victim of battery or some other intentional tort, contact the Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake at 312-466-8200 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.