Cheyenne Committed the Tort of Battery Against Joey

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The Answer is The court probably awarded compensatory damages.Such damages would be intended to compensate Joey for the losses and injuries that he suffered as a result of the battery.For instance, he might receive damages with respect to medical bills that he incurred or income that he lost as a result of being unable to work.

Battery is actionable per se.That means that Cheyenne committed the tort merely because she made offensive bodily contact with Joey.Joey was entitled to successfully sue even if he did not suffer any loss or damage as a result of the tort.(Indeed, as discussed in Malette v Shulman, which is cited in Chapter 4, the plaintiff may succeed in an action for battery even if the defendant's actions were actually beneficial, so long as they were unwanted.) In that case, Joey would have received nominal damages.Such damages involve a very small amount of money (eg $10) and are intended to symbolize that the defendant acted wrongfully, even though she did not cause any harm.

Finally, the court might have awarded punitive damages.Such damages are awarded in addition to either compensatory damages or nominal damages.They are intended to express the court's disapproval at the defendant's outrageous conduct.They deter future wrongdoing and impose a punishment on the wrongdoer.They would be appropriate, for instance, if Cheyenne's battery was particularly harsh, vindictive, high-handed, reprehensible, or malicious.

Cheyenne Committed the Tort of Battery Against Joey

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