Intentional Harm Lawyers in Maine

Smart, fearless allies for victims of intentional harm

A bookkeeper embezzles from his employer. A blogger posts defamatory statements about a local restaurant, causing a decline in sales. A group of teenagers engages in cyberbullying or physical assault.

In civil law, these actions are known as intentional harm, or intentional torts. A tort is an act committed by one party that causes substantial harm to another. It can be a physical injury, property damage, financial loss, defamation, or other types of harm.

If intentional harm can be proven to cause serious injuries, emotional distress, damage to property, and/or economic losses, victims have a legal right to seek economic and non-economic damages. In some instances, when the conduct involved is particularly outrageous, victims may also be entitled to punitive damages, which are assessed by a judge or jury against a defendant to punish them for acting recklessly or intentionally, and to deter others from committing similar harmful acts.

Call 207-784-3576 for a free consultation.

For the best results, go to the best Maine intentional harm lawyers

Berman & Simmons is widely recognized as the best personal injury lawyers in Maine and among the best in the U.S.

We have obtained several of the largest jury verdicts in Maine history, and many of the largest settlements for our clients. Our attorneys are highly skilled at proving fault, documenting the extent of your losses, and ensuring you receive full compensation.

Call 207-784-3576 for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless we win by settlement or jury verdict.

A law firm that actually listens to you

Berman & Simmons has helped countless victims who have been intentionally harmed, and we understand the challenges you face. Whether you have been harmed by a physical assault, violation of trust, or some other means, we realize the impacts can be overwhelming.

Our lawyers and staff members take the time to listen to you, understand your concerns, and come up with solutions that can make your life better, including obtaining payment for or deferral of your debts until your case is resolved.

Are intentional harms also handled as crimes?

Many torts are also crimes. This is not a barrier for plaintiffs seeking compensation in civil court. Even if the wrongdoer is held accountable in criminal court, they can and should also be held accountable within our civil justice system.

At the same time, some wrongdoers may not be convicted or even prosecuted in criminal court, but they can still be held accountable in a civil court.

A civil lawsuit is often the only way plaintiffs ever receive financial compensation for the harm caused to them.

Representing clients in a wide range of harm

If intentional serious harm can be proven, we are prepared to aggressively pursue your case. No other firm in Maine can match the depth of our experience, expertise and the resources we use to bring these complex cases to a successful conclusion.

These are some of the more common types of intentional torts:

Assault. Intentionally putting another person in reasonable apprehension of an imminent harmful or offensive contact. No intent to cause physical injury needs to exist, and no physical injury needs to result.
Battery. The intentional causation of harmful or offensive contact with another person without that person's consent.
False imprisonment. Committing an act of restraint on another person which confines that person in a bounded area. An act of restraint can be a physical barrier such as a locked door, the use of physical force to restrain, a failure to release, or an invalid use of legal authority
Trespass. Knowingly entering another person’s property without permission. A property owner may bring a civil lawsuit against a trespasser in order to recover damages or receive compensatory relief for injury suffered as a direct result of a trespass.
Intentional infliction of emotional distress. The tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress has four elements: (1) the defendant must act intentionally; (2) the defendant's conduct must be extreme and outrageous; and (3) the conduct must be the cause (4) of severe emotional distress.
Fraud. Intentional or reckless misrepresentation of material facts made by one person to another with knowledge of its falsity and for the purpose of inducing the other person to act, and upon which the other person relies with resulting injury or damage.
Defamation. Defamation is a statement that seriously injures a third party's reputation. The tort of defamation includes both libel (written statements) and slander (spoken statements).