Damages · all 51 jurisdictions

Can I sue for emotional distress?

Almost never a claim by itself. Usually damages carried by some other claim — and the question is which one.

the short answer

Usually not on its own. Emotional distress is a category of damages that rides along with some other claim, not a claim you file by itself. There are two narrow exceptions — intentional infliction, which needs conduct a court will call extreme and outrageous, and negligent infliction, which many states allow only where there was physical injury or you were in the zone of danger. So the question that actually gets you somewhere is not whether you can sue for distress, but what the underlying claim is.

There is no formula, and that is the honest answer

A security deposit has a statute that sets a number. Emotional distress does not. What it is worth depends on the underlying claim, what a jury makes of it, and caps that differ by state and by claim type. Anyone quoting you an average is quoting you nothing. Find the claim first — the claim is what carries a deadline, a court and a range.

which one is yours?

It happened at workCan I sue for being fired for complaining? →A debt collector did itCan I sue for a debt collector harassing me? →I was hurt in a collisionCan I sue for a car accident? →A dog attacked meCan I sue for a dog bite? →Someone is harassing meCan I sue for harassment? →

None of these — the conduct itself was the whole harm

That is the narrow intentional infliction claim, and courts set the bar deliberately high: rude, unfair or humiliating is not enough on its own. It is worth asking a lawyer about, and it is not worth filing on the strength of a web page.

not one we cover — here's what to do

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