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Regan Zambri Long’s Washington, DC assault and battery lawyers help victims pursue compensation after a violent encounter causes physical injury or emotional trauma. If you were assaulted or battered, you may be dealing with medical bills, time away from work, and lingering effects that extend far beyond the incident itself. Beyond what happened in the moment, these cases are about how that harm continues to affect your health, finances, and sense of safety.
Civil law allows assault and battery victims to seek compensation directly from the person who caused the harm. This option exists even if no criminal charges were filed, no arrest was made, or a criminal case never moved forward. Our attorneys bring nearly 200 years of combined experience to these cases and have recovered over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for injured clients. That experience allows us to guide victims through a difficult process with clarity, care, and a strong focus on results.
Have you or a loved one been a victim of assault and battery in Washington, DC? Contact Regan Zambri Long today for a free consultation. We’re available 24/7 and work on a contingency basis, so you don’t pay unless we win your case.
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If you were assaulted or battered in Washington, DC, you may be able to file a civil lawsuit to seek compensation for your injuries and losses. A civil case focuses on how the assault affected you, not on punishing the attacker. The goal is financial recovery for medical bills, lost income, pain, and emotional harm.
A civil claim exists separately from any criminal case. You may have a valid claim even if the police were never called, no arrest was made, charges were dropped, or the attacker was never prosecuted. Civil lawsuits are brought by the victim, not by the government, and they rely on a different legal process.
For many victims, a civil claim is the only way to regain a sense of control after an assault. It allows you to seek accountability and financial recovery based on your own injuries and losses, rather than waiting for decisions made by prosecutors or the criminal justice system.
You may also still have a claim if the person who harmed you is someone you know, such as a partner, coworker, neighbor, or acquaintance. Regan Zambri Long’s Washington, DC assault and battery lawyer can help assess whether the facts support a civil case and explain what compensation may be available based on your injuries.
In civil law, assault and battery are related but distinct concepts, and understanding the difference helps explain how liability works in a lawsuit. Both fall under what is known as an intentional tort assault, meaning the harm results from deliberate actions rather than an accident.
Either can form the basis of an assault and battery personal injury claim. The distinction matters because it affects how damages are evaluated, especially when emotional trauma after an assault exists alongside physical injuries from assault. A civil battery claim may focus more heavily on medical harm, while assault may emphasize fear, distress, and lasting emotional impact
Assault and battery claims often arise from everyday situations where conflicts escalate into violence. These cases are about accountability for harm, not blame for how a situation began. Research bears out how common this escalation can be, with one study finding that assault-related injuries account for 6.57% of all emergency department visits, highlighting how frequently physical confrontations result in medically treated harm.
Common situations that may lead to a civil claim include:
In many cases, these incidents unfold quickly and unexpectedly. What begins as a verbal disagreement or tense interaction can escalate in seconds, leaving victims injured and unprepared for the physical, emotional, and financial consequences that follow.
In each of these situations, the focus remains on the victim’s injuries, medical needs, lost income, and recovery. Regan Zambri Long’s Washington, DC assault and battery attorney will look at how the incident affected your health, work, and daily life, not whether the attacker intended long-term harm.
Some violent acts involve sexual violence, which raises separate legal and emotional considerations. In those situations, Regan Zambri Long’s Washington, DC sexual assault lawyer can explain the legal options available to victims.
To succeed in an assault or battery lawsuit, a victim must show three core elements. These requirements are legal in nature, but the underlying question is simple: Did the defendant’s intentional actions cause harm?
This framework allows victims to pursue compensation without needing to prove criminal guilt.
Strong evidence helps show what happened, how you were injured, and how the assault continues to affect your life. Evidence in an assault lawsuit often includes the following:
In many cases, these incidents unfold quickly and unexpectedly. What begins as a verbal disagreement or tense interaction can escalate in seconds, leaving victims injured and unprepared for the physical, emotional, and financial consequences that follow.
Victims of assault and battery may seek compensation for the full impact of their injuries. Damages are meant to reflect how the incident changed your health, finances, and daily life.
Compensation is intended to account for the immediate impact of an assault and the longer-term effects that may not be clear right away. Some injuries worsen over time, and emotional or financial consequences may continue well after initial treatment ends.
Compensation in an assault and battery personal injury case may include:
In some cases, punitive damages may be available to address especially harmful conduct, though outcomes depend on the facts.
Criminal cases and civil lawsuits serve different purposes and often move on different timelines. Criminal cases are prosecuted by the District and focus on enforcing the law. Civil cases are brought by the victim and focus on compensation.
A civil lawsuit may move forward whether or not a criminal case is pending. Sometimes civil cases proceed after criminal matters conclude. In other situations, they move at the same time.
The outcome of a criminal case does not automatically determine civil liability. A person may be held financially responsible in civil court even if criminal charges are reduced or dismissed. This separation allows victims to pursue recovery based on their own injuries and losses.
Many victims worry about whether compensation is realistic, especially if the attacker has limited personal assets. In some cases, insurance coverage may apply.
Questions about insurance coverage and collectability are common in assault cases, and they are often addressed early in the process through careful investigation of available policies and other potential sources of recovery.
Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policies sometimes provide coverage for certain assault-related claims, depending on the policy language and the circumstances. Umbrella policies may offer additional coverage in some situations.
If the attacker does not have insurance or sufficient assets, a Washington, DC assault and battery lawyer can still help explore available options and explain how civil compensation differs from restitution ordered in criminal cases. Restitution is limited and court-controlled, while civil compensation focuses on the victim’s full losses.
Understanding collectability early helps set realistic expectations.
Some assaults happen in places where basic safety measures were not in place, and in those situations, responsibility may extend beyond the person who committed the attack. When this issue arises, Regan Zambri Long’s Washington, DC negligent security lawyer can help determine whether a separate claim may exist based on the location and circumstances of the assault.
Assault and battery cases often involve serious injuries, lasting emotional harm, and significant disruption to daily life. Regan Zambri Long’s Washington, DC assault and battery lawyers have almost 30 years of experience handling civil claims arising from violent incidents and understand how these injuries affect a person’s health, ability to work, and sense of security. Our focus remains on helping victims pursue fair compensation while navigating a difficult and often overwhelming process.
We place strong emphasis on careful evidence development and thorough case preparation. Our award-winning team works to gather medical records, witness accounts, video footage, and other key materials that show how the assault occurred and how it changed a client’s life. Each case is prepared with trial in mind, which helps strengthen our position whether the claim resolves through negotiation or proceeds to court.
Across our personal injury practice, we have recovered dozens of multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for injured clients. That experience includes assault and battery cases involving severe physical harm. In one Washington, DC case, we secured a $4.2 million jury verdict for a nightclub patron who was attacked and severely beaten while exiting the establishment, reflecting our commitment to securing justice for victims of violent acts.
Our work has also been recognized nationally. Best Lawyers consistently lists us among the Best Law Firms in America, and all six of our partners are named on Lawdragon’s list of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in the United States.
Assault and battery cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. That means there are no upfront legal fees, and you only pay if compensation is recovered.
Under §12–301 of the DC Code, the statute of limitations for most assault and battery claims is generally three years from the date of the incident. Filing within this timeframe is important to protect your right to compensation, preserve evidence, and allow your claim to move forward properly.
No. A police report can be helpful, but it is not required to bring a civil assault claim. Many cases rely on medical records, photographs, witness statements, or other documentation. A lawsuit focuses on proving harm and responsibility, not whether law enforcement pursued charges.
Yes. A civil assault claim does not depend on an arrest or criminal prosecution. Even if no one was taken into custody, you may still pursue compensation for your injuries. Civil cases follow a different process and focus on your losses rather than criminal punishment.
Claims of self-defense are evaluated based on the specific facts of the incident. In a civil case, the issue is whether the force used was justified and whether it caused compensable harm. A self-defense claim does not automatically prevent an assault victim from recovering damages.
Yes. You can be compensated for emotional trauma after an assault, even when physical injuries are limited or have healed. Anxiety, fear, sleep disruption, and loss of enjoyment of life can all be considered. Civil law recognizes that the impact of an assault is not always purely physical.
You can still pursue a civil claim even if the attacker is a partner, family member, coworker, or acquaintance. The law focuses on the conduct and resulting harm, not the relationship between the people involved. Compensation is based on injury and loss, not personal connection.
Regan Zambri Long’s Washington, DC assault and battery lawyers handle these cases on a contingency fee basis. This means there are no upfront legal fees, and you only pay if compensation is recovered. This approach allows assault victims to pursue justice without added financial pressure.
Have you or your loved one sustained injuries in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia? Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the best lawyers in the country to analyze your case and answer the questions you may have.