To sue or not to sue?

So, some random dude straight up sucker-punched me out of nowhere last night and broke my nose. Doctors said the injuries are relatively minor, but still, man... Since the guy is an international traveler, I’m heading to court first thing tomorrow. I'm debating whether I should hire a lawyer and file a private lawsuit, but I have no clue how that even works when he's just visiting from Mexico. Like, can I actually claim some kind of headache or emotional distress to push for a settlement? And realistically, how much cash am I looking at potentially pulling in?

Is it actually possible that nobody has an answer for this??

Does anyone have any clue what kind of sentence that guy is looking at? We were just in court, and while he’s definitely getting hit with a fine, the judge wouldn't give me a straight answer on the amount. It’s just a case of misdemeanor assault—broken nose and all that crap.

He’ll get hit with whatever fine the judge decides to slap on him, somewhere in that middle ground between the minimum and the maximum, but honestly, that’s not even your problem...

If you’re looking to get some money back, you’d have to file a civil suit, but looking at how bad the injury actually was, I don't think it's worth the headache. No one is going to cut you a check for thousands of dollars over something like this.
Just be ready for it to drag on forever in the court system, especially if the guy is living out of state or somewhere overseas...

It’s honestly pathetic how the current laws and legal precedents handle this stuff. But hey, I doubt I’ll even live long enough to see actual physical assaults get punished properly...

slyrider16 said:It’s honestly pathetic how the current laws and legal precedents handle this stuff. But hey, I doubt I’ll even live long enough to see actual physical assaults get punished properly...

Look, you can't just say every single physical attack should be punished the exact same way, so that "regardless of the circumstances" part of your argument doesn't really hold water with me...

Douglas Diaz3 said:Is it actually possible that nobody has an answer for this??

Does anyone have any clue what kind of sentence that guy is looking at? We were just in court, and while he’s definitely getting hit with a fine, the judge wouldn't give me a straight answer on the amount. It’s just a case of misdemeanor assault—broken nose and all that crap.

A broken nose is a serious physical injury. He's complaining about insomnia, breathing issues, blackouts, and neck pain from the whiplash... so just grab whatever settlement you can get. Regardless of any fractures, a BROKEN nose alone is a MAJOR PHYSICAL injury...

As for suing for damages, good luck in civil court...

Jason Morgan4 said:A broken nose is a serious physical injury. He's complaining about insomnia, breathing issues, blackouts, and neck pain from the whiplash... so just grab whatever settlement you can get. Regardless of any fractures, a BROKEN nose alone is a MAJOR PHYSICAL injury...

As for suing for damages, good luck in civil court...

nah, I mean if there's even a slight shift in it. unless I'm totally remembering it wrong...

crimsonsailor7 said:Look, you can't just say every single physical attack should be punished the exact same way, so that "regardless of the circumstances" part of your argument doesn't really hold water with me...

That's not even what I said. My point was that any kind of physical attack should carry a penalty way harsher than the current minimum. Obviously, different attacks would still be classified differently and get their own specific punishments. It's just that the current laws in this country have such an insanely high tolerance for violence...

Jason Morgan4 said:A broken nose is a serious physical injury. He's complaining about insomnia, breathing issues, blackouts, and neck pain from the whiplash... so just grab whatever settlement you can get. Regardless of any fractures, a BROKEN nose alone is a MAJOR PHYSICAL injury...

As for suing for damages, good luck in civil court...

he isn't spreading any misinformation ☕
there's a few sentences about this further down—in the "serious bodily injury" thread, I think.

Track down that Canadian guy and break his nose, then take a chunk out of his ear... surely you can do better than that.

crimsonsailor7 said:nah, I mean if there's even a slight shift in it. unless I'm totally remembering it wrong...

Your memory isn't failing you.

crimsonsailor7 said:He’ll get hit with whatever fine the judge decides to slap on him, somewhere in that middle ground between the minimum and the maximum, but honestly, that’s not even your problem...

If you’re looking to get some money back, you’d have to file a civil suit, but looking at how bad the injury actually was, I don't think it's worth the headache. No one is going to cut you a check for thousands of dollars over something like this.
Just be ready for it to drag on forever in the court system, especially if the guy is living out of state or somewhere overseas...

Of course it matters to him! Who else would it matter to? If he can't get a massive settlement, the least he can get is some damn justice.

Casey Ramos31 said:Of course it matters to him! Who else would it matter to? If he can't get a massive settlement, the least he can get is some damn justice.

Nah, it definitely doesn't touch him at all.

crimsonsailor7 said:Nah, it definitely doesn't touch him at all.

If someone were to god forbid jump you on the street, wouldn't that be your problem too?😕>

Quentin Tarantino:

Casey Ramos31 I can't even begin to wrap my head around what Douglas Diaz3 was saying about this... it's just one of those things where you stare at the screen for a minute trying to process the sheer weight of it all, and honestly, I don't think I'll ever quite get there... it’s like when you’re watching a classic film directed by Quentin Tarantino and you realize halfway through that everything you thought you knew about the plot was totally wrong, and you're just left sitting there in the dark, wondering how you missed all the signs... it really makes you rethink everything, doesn't it... I mean, if someone were to just come up and jump you on the street or something, wouldn't that actually affect you too...😕

I'm not saying he's completely out of the loop, but I'm pretty sure he hasn't given a single thought to how much time that guy is actually going to serve... like, there's just zero money in it for him...

Douglas Diaz3 said:So, some random dude straight up sucker-punched me out of nowhere last night and broke my nose. Doctors said the injuries are relatively minor, but still, man... Since the guy is an international traveler, I’m heading to court first thing tomorrow. I'm debating whether I should hire a lawyer and file a private lawsuit, but I have no clue how that even works when he's just visiting from Mexico. Like, can I actually claim some kind of headache or emotional distress to push for a settlement? And realistically, how much cash am I looking at potentially pulling in?

Look, man, get yourself a lawyer and absolutely hammer him for that broken nose.
The guy is going to get hit with a fine and he deserves it, but if you spend years dragging him through the American court system, you're just wasting your own time.
If you're really after the money, try to settle out of court instead; just don't go asking for millions unless you're planning on getting a whole new nose out of the deal.😁

...it looks like there isn't any actual displacement of the nasal bone, and since it isn't a severe physical injury—more of a minor one, I suppose—you could always look into filing a private lawsuit. In the best-case scenario, he might just end up facing a fine, or you could try a civil suit for damages, though I guess the real question is how much money you could actually recover and whether you could even collect it once you realize the guy is based all the way out in Mexico... anyway, I suspect getting true satisfaction from the legal system will be pretty difficult, unfortunately. If I'm being honest, the only thing that would feel truly effective would be some kind of eye-for-an-eye approach... you know, a nose for a nose, or maybe a nose for four tires and a shattered windshield :-)