Civil plaintiffs can seek compensatory and punitive damages for tort claims such as assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
November 18, 2025
high
procedural
Typical remedies pursued in civil lawsuits arising from physical assaults and related emotional harm.
A person can be acquitted in a criminal trial and still be found civilly liable for the same deaths in a separate civil case.
November 17, 2025
high
legal_principle
Difference between criminal and civil proceedings and standards of proof.
In the United States, a defendant can be acquitted in a criminal trial and still be found civilly liable for the same underlying conduct in a separate civil proceeding.
high
legal
Criminal and civil proceedings use different standards of proof, allowing different outcomes on the same underlying conduct.
Monetary judgments from wrongful-death civil cases can accrue interest over many years and remain collectible from a debtor's estate after the debtor's death if those judgments were not satisfied during the debtor's lifetime.
high
legal
Unpaid civil judgments typically continue to be enforceable as debts against a decedent's estate and may increase due to accumulated interest.