Spinal cord injuries may occur due to negligence or intentional conduct, such as assault. As is true with all negligence cases, the victim must prove that the party who injured the victim owed the victim a duty of care. The victim must then show that the party breached the duty, leading to the injury and that the victim suffered damages thereby. However, given the nature of spinal cord injuries, it is also possible that the victim’s injury was intentional. In that case, the victim of the assault and battery can place criminal charges and sue in civil court for damages, assuming the criminal defendant is not judgment proof. In such a civil case, the victim must prove that the offender assaulted and intentionally caused the victim to anticipate harm and then committed battery in that the offender caused harm to the victim. These harmful acts could include striking the victim with an object, shooting the victim, or pushing or shoving the victim, causing a fall.