Can I Sue Someone for Emotional Distress? | Baltimore Personal Injury Lawyers
If you have been the victim of continued mental abuse, you may be entitled to legal compensation under certain conditions. Mental abuse is also occasionally referred to as emotional abuse or psychological abuse. No matter how it is referred to, mental abuse is legally recognized as a type of excessive and intentional exploitation of someone.
Restitution
Even if abuse isn’t physical, it can merit legal restitution.
- Just as the case is when it comes to physical abuse, the severity of mental abuse is determined by the level of harm.
- Where physical abuse may cause the loss of physical functionality, mental abuse can result in the loss of self-esteem or happiness.
- Mental abuse can result in long-term mental complications such as post-traumatic stress disorder or chronic depression, depression, or other serious conditions.
Verifiable Proof of Abuse
The degree to which you are able to receive restitution for mental abuse depends on a number of critical factors. As with any case that involves seeking justice for damages caused by another person, your eligibility for compensation hinges on providing solid proof of what happened, or is still happening. An experienced attorney can be of great benefit in situations as this. They can evaluate your circumstances and library of evidence which might include any or all of the following:
- Text message conversations.
- Testimonies of others who have witnessed verbal exchanges between you and the abuser.
- Voicemail messages.
- Recorded conversations between the two of you, if permissible by law.
- Your mental health professional’s testimony as to how the abuse has negatively impacted you.
- Records that show you have suffered financially as a result of the abuse. For example, wages you have lost because you were not able to work.
When it comes to the matter of possible mental complications that have resulted from ongoing emotional distress, having doctors’ treatment notes to verify the diagnoses of mental complications that coincide with evidence of mental abuse can be compelling evidence. The more evidence that can verify the abuse, the more likelihood of a successful lawsuit.
Getting Legal Help
Many personal injury attorneys do not charge fees upfront. If such an attorney accepts your case, they may handle it on a contingency basis; in this circumstance, your only financial obligation is a percentage of the settlement award if your lawsuit is successful. To get a clearer sense of the strength of your case, seek legal guidance from a personal injury lawyer who has successfully represented clients in similar circumstances such as yours.