Nominal damages will be awarded to an individual who has suffered no actual damages in consequence to the illegal confinement. In cases where an injured offers proof of injuries suffered, s/he will be compensated with damages for physical injuries, mental suffering, and loss of earnings.
Establishing Liability for False Imprisonment Intent to confine – Intent to confine means the defendant intentionally confined you by threats of violence, physical restraint, deceit, or another intentional act. No legal authority to detain – A person must have the legal authority to detain someone.
If you are referring to the tort of false imprisonment, then the answer is yes. You can file a civil lawsuit against someone or an entity that falsely imprisoned you. However, outside of an extreme situation, the problem is that there are rarely any actual damages. Therefore, a lawsuit is rarely worth doing.
To prove a false imprisonment claim as a tort in a civil lawsuit, the following elements must be present: There was a willful detention; The detention was without consent; and. The detention was unlawful.
In general, to make out a false imprisonment claim, you'll need to show these four common elements: the intentional restraint of another person in a confined area. the restrained person doesn't consent to the restraint. the restrained person is aware of the restraint, and. the restraint is without legal justification.