Intentional torts are those in which a person deliberately means to damage your property or physically hurt you. If someone deliberately strikes you with a car or their fist, these are intentional torts. With intentional torts the persons mindset is crucial. For example if I intended to hit you, it is a form of battery. But if I am simply careless and hit you it is negligence.
Proving a person acted intentionally as opposed to negligently can be a big deal. The reason it becomes so important because if it is done intentionally the victim is entitled to recover punitive damages.
Punitive damages are designed to punish the wrongdoer. And deter them from doing it again. It is also meant to compensate the victim financially. Punitive damages can be anywhere from one dollar to the multimillion dollar suits you hear about on TV.
