Battery: Elements

Battery requires intent, harmful or offensive contact, and that contact be with plaintiff's person.

Representative cases

• Waters v. Blackshear 591 N.E.2d 184 · Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

  “a harmful contact with the person of the other directly or indirectly results”

• Mullins v. Parkview Hospital, Inc. 865 N.E.2d 608 · Indiana Supreme Court

  “of such a contact, and (b) a harmful contact with the person of the other directly or indirectly results”

• Dion v. City of Omaha 311 Neb. 522 · Nebraska Supreme Court

  “of such a contact, and (2) a harmful contact with the person of the other directly or indirectly results”

Related Intentional Torts rules

• Intentional Torts: IntentIntent exists when defendant acts with purpose or knowledge to a substantial certainty that harm will occur.
• Assault: ElementsAssault is intentional act creating reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact.
• False ImprisonmentFalse imprisonment is intentional confinement without lawful privilege and without consent.
• Intentional Infliction of Emotional DistressIIED requires extreme and outrageous conduct intended or recklessly causing severe emotional distress.
• Trespass to LandTrespass to land requires intentional physical invasion of plaintiff’s real property.
• Trespass to ChattelsTrespass to chattels involves intentional interference with another’s possessory rights causing actual harm.
• ConversionConversion requires intentional dominion or control over chattel that seriously interferes with plaintiff’s rights.
• Consent DefenseConsent bars liability when plaintiff voluntarily and knowingly agrees to defendant’s conduct.

Part of Torts on Core Legal Rules — foundational MBE-tested principles with primary-source citations.