Our own home is a place where we have become accustom to feeling a sense of safety. An unexpected act of violence, or even the threat of violence, can shake us to the core and make us anxious and fearful of places where we would normally seek refuge. It is especially traumatic when the violence takes place in our own home.
Recently, in Flint Michigan two homes were struck by stray bullets while the family was sleeping. In each instance, three bullets were randomly shot into the dwellings in the middle of the night.
The occurrences happened within 30 minutes of each other and there does not seem to be a personal connection with the gunfire and the occupants. Both instances seem to be random shootings.
The occupants of the homes were not physically injured in either incident, but both have lost the sense of security they felt in the place they call home.
Random acts of violence can cause multiple injuries to innocent victims. Some injuries can be seen but many times the acts do not leave a physical scar. Just the threat of the firearm discharging into a person’s home could be considered a personal injury through the establishment of an intentional tort.
A few other examples of “intentional torts” are verbal threats, road rage, and sometimes just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Assault and battery are usually thought of as criminal acts, but many times these acts can also be considered personal injury.
In the case of personal injury, the tort of assault is usually defined as an intentional act that is meant to cause fear of harmful contact. If you think you are going to be hurt by the actions of another, it may be an assault. The intentional tort of battery occurs when you are physically touched after the threat. Both instances may be eligible for compensation under personal injury law.
If you feel you have been injured as a result of someone else’s threats or random act of violence give us a call. Our goal at Michigan Injury Lawyers is to help you establish negligence and build a strong case gets you the settlement you deserve. We are happy to answer any questions you have about a case you may have as the result of an injury caused by someone else. Contact us today.