When Outrageous Behavior Leads to Harm
In personal injury cases, determining liability is part of the process. This is because injury claims revolve around negligence, where someone’s careless actions or failure to act responsibly leads to another person being harmed. In some situations, there is even evidence of behavior that goes beyond negligence, to one of extreme conduct.
Connecting with damage recovery because of another’s extreme behavior or outrageous conduct is part of achieving justice. Holding a responsible party accountable is a legal right and a way to protect others from similar harm in the future. Talk to a Delray Beach personal injury attorney to learn more.
Unreasonable Conduct
Extreme or outrageous conduct involves acts that are intentionally harmful, offensive, or shocking, and that cause significant distress or harm to another person. This could include one or more of the following.
- Intentional harm. If a person intentionally engages in conduct specifically to cause severe emotional distress, and this distress leads to physical injuries or harm, a personal injury claim may be pursued.
- Assault and battery. When physical harm is threatened or there is physical contact with harmful intent, the wrongdoer may be held liable for both criminal and civil charges if the victim sustains injuries as a result.
- Reckless driving. In cases where a driver engages in behavior that is reckless or operates a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol and causes an accident resulting in injuries, they could be held accountable for their extreme conduct. Some examples of reckless driving include excessive speeding and aggressive maneuvers.
- Professional who intentionally harms others. When professionals, such as doctors or lawyers, engage in behavior that intentionally harms their clients or patients, they may be held accountable. This could be true if a doctor intentionally misdiagnosed a patient’s condition and prescribes unnecessary treatments, leading to harm, for instance.
- Tampering with products. If individuals intentionally tamper with products, to contaminate food or alter products to cause harm, they can be held liable.
It can be challenging to prove extreme conduct as there needs to be proof that the accused’s behavior was truly outrageous and that the behavior was the direct cause of harm.
Intention and Causation
The key areas that need to be proven are intent, that the defendant acted intentionally knowing that their actions were likely to cause harm or distress, and causation, that there is a clear connection between the extreme conduct and the resulting injuries.
When you hire a Delray Beach personal injury attorney, they will work to gather documentation that there was outrageous behavior that went beyond the bounds of what is considered acceptable in society. They will also work to collect evidence of the resulting physical injuries, emotional distress, and financial losses.
Where were you when you were harmed by another’s extreme conduct? When someone’s outrageous behavior results in harm, share the details of your situation with the lawyers at Earnhart Law. Then, you can lean on over 30 years of experience to connect you with justice. Book your no-cost consultation today, call 561-265-2220 or contact us online.
