Also known as:inflict · inflicts · inflicted · inflicting · IIED
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
The act of causing harm, injury, or a specified consequence to be suffered by another person or entity. The term encompasses both physical and nonphysical harms when paired with the requisite intent or statutory prohibition.
Sources & Authorities· 22 primary sources
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Cases
Federal Rules
Uniform Acts
Model Codes
Common Law
Restatements
Casebooks
Hornbooks
Course Outlines
Study Supplements
How it applies
Common Examples
6
Grievous Harm During Altercation
Ike Ingram confronted Idris Ives outside a bar after an argument. Ike drew a knife and stabbed Idris in the abdomen, intending to cause serious injury. The victim died from the wound two days later. Prosecutors charged Ike with murder on the theory that his intent to inflict grievous bodily harm supplied the required malice.
Injury During Store Theft
Imani Idowu entered a convenience store and grabbed cash from the register. When the clerk resisted, Imani punched the clerk in the face, breaking his jaw. The blow constituted the infliction of serious bodily injury during the theft, elevating the charge to first-degree robbery.
Unwanted Contact at Party
Isabella Ingram swung her arm at a crowded party intending only to startle Irene Ingalls. Her hand struck Irene's shoulder, causing a bruise. Because Isabella acted with the purpose of making offensive contact, she is liable for battery even though she did not intend the resulting physical harm.
Legislative Vote Nullified
State senators who voted against a bill watched the lieutenant governor cast a tie-breaking vote that enacted the measure. The senators sued, claiming the executive action inflicted a concrete, personal injury by nullifying their votes and producing an outcome they had opposed.
Challenged Prison Sanction
A state corrections department imposed extended solitary confinement on inmates for minor infractions. The inmates argued that the prolonged isolation constituted cruel and unusual punishment inflicted in violation of the Eighth Amendment.
Director Self-Dealing Decision
A director of Ironwood Capital approved a transaction that diverted corporate assets to his own company. Shareholders alleged the approval amounted to an intentional infliction of harm on the corporation and its owners, removing any statutory protection for the director.
Common questions
Frequently Asked
6
How does intent to inflict grievous bodily harm differ from intent to kill in proving murder?+
Both satisfy the malice aforethought element at common law. Intent to inflict grievous bodily harm requires only that the defendant purposefully caused serious injury, while intent to kill requires purpose to cause death. Either supports a murder conviction.
Supporting sources
Does the Model Penal Code robbery statute require actual infliction of injury or only an attempt?+
The statute is satisfied when the actor inflicts serious bodily injury during the theft. An attempt to inflict such injury also elevates the degree of the offense to a first-degree felony.
Can a defendant be liable for battery when intending only offensive contact but causing actual harm?+
Yes. Liability attaches if the defendant intended offensive contact and that contact occurred, even without intent to produce the resulting physical harm.
Supporting sources
What must legislators show to establish standing based on vote nullification?+
They must demonstrate that an executive action concretely and personally injured them by nullifying their votes and causing a specific legislative outcome they opposed.
Supporting sources
Does the Eighth Amendment prohibit all infliction of harsh prison conditions?+
No. It prohibits only cruel and unusual punishments. Courts assess whether the punishment is excessive or involves unnecessary infliction of pain under evolving standards of decency.
Supporting sources
When does a corporate director lose statutory protection for a challenged transaction?+
Protection is lost when the transaction involves an intentional infliction of harm on the corporation or its shareholders.
Supporting sources
injury upon the community. ” Mugler v. Kansas , 123 U. S. 623, 668-669. Thus, there is no “taking” where a city prohibits the operation of a brickyard within a residential area, see…
of bodily injury upon her by her spouse or by another individual. "Such statement need not be notarized, but shall bear a notice that any false statements made therein are punishable by…
inflicted
by officials acting under color of law, while no less compensable in damages than those
inflicted
by private parties, are substantially different in kind, as the Court's opinion today…
TortsNegligence · Problems relating to causationUBEFoundational