Physical Abuse

Physical abuse takes many forms. One person may physically abuse another person in a marriage, a parent-child relationship, a nursing home, or some other setting. The victim of physical abuse may be male or female, young or old, acquainted with the perpetrator of the abuse, or not.

Hundreds of thousands of incidents of physical abuse occur every year in the U.S., in circumstances such as:

• Domestic abuse—According to the CDC, every year, women are the victims of about 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes, and men experience about 2.9 million intimate partner-related physical assaults.
• Child abuse—In 2006, more than 1,500 children in the U.S. died from physical abuse or neglect in their homes.
• Elder abuse—Every year, more than two million elderly Americans experience abuse in their homes or in a care facility.
• Assault & Battery, homicide—Millions of people are hurt each year in robberies, burglaries, muggings, and fights.

Civil Penalties for Physical Abuse

Incidents of physical abuse are the basis for criminal charges, with arrests when possible and prosecution by local, state, or federal agencies. Civil law also provides legal remedies for victims of physical abuse. An illustration of the simultaneous criminal law and civil law aspects of a physical abuse case is the murder of Nicole Brown (Simpson) and Ron Goldman in 1994. O.J. Simpson faced both criminal charges and a civil lawsuit filed by the victims’ families.

Your Specific Physical Abuse Circumstances

If you are the victim of physical abuse, or if a member of your family such as your child or your elderly parent was physically abused, you may have a possible civil claim for financial compensation for damages such as medical bills, lost income, and loss of a loved one. Contact our firm to discuss your concerns. Our Massachusetts physical abuse attorney will be happy to answer your questions in a no-commitment consultation.

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Suite 215
Lowell, MA 01852

Tel: 800-483-9219