We see if all over the news lately. A person was being stopped for a routine traffic incident, or they were being arrested for a wrongdoing and then the officer took the situation out of hand. They may have injured the suspect or they may have arrested them in a brutal manner. Personal injury law makes unnecessary force and harm illegal, even if the person is being or is placed under arrest. This can be a scary situation, not fully understanding your rights in this situation and not knowing how to handle it. After all, the person that you would normally call for help is the one providing the excessive harm to you.
Do not fight back. As difficult as it may be, it is necessary to not fight back in a police brutality case. Although your first reaction may be to protect yourself, you have to be careful not to harm the officer. This can make the case more difficult and the events of the attack can be misunderstood, leading many to think that the officer used the excessive force as a result of your fighting back. A police brutality lawyer will have a better time defending you if it is clear that you did not fight back. You also will not incur any additional charges for harming an officer.
Consult with an attorney, specifically a police brutality lawyer or a civil rights attorney. Even when you are placed under arrest, you are still entitled to your civil rights. You still have the right to not be attacked and have brutal force against you during your arrest. These are all true, even if you are guilty of the crime that you were arrested for. A police brutality lawyer is specialized in these types of cases and will be able to provide you with the appropriate laws surrounding police misconduct.
If you were physically injured during your arrest or your interaction with the police officer, it is important to document any of the injuries as evidence for your injury attorney. A civil rights lawyer will have an easier time winning your case if you have physical evidence of your specific injuries. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, over 31 million injuries occur to people throughout the U.S. each year that necessitate a doctor?s care. Many of these injuries are a result of police misconduct.
However, many police misconduct cases will never even make it to trial. 95 to 96% of personal injury cases are settled pretrial. Generally, this is an agreement between both parties, often coming to some type of an agreement to settle out of court. It is also possible that an injury can be caused by a faulty product, such as handcuffs or a Taser gun. When an injury is allegedly caused by a defective product, the injured person may bring a product liability lawsuit. These are all things that the police brutality lawyer can assist with.
Police brutality cases have been all over the media lately. It seems like they are occurring more frequently than ever. It can be a scary and difficult thing to go through, and you may wonder how to handle it if you are the victim of a police brutality. You should try to not fight back, and immediately consult with an attorney who is specialized in police brutality cases. If possible, it is always a good idea to document any physical proof of injuries from the excessive police force. Finally, you should always remember that even if you are under arrest, you still have rights that need to be protected. When these rights are affected, you may have a case.