I was arrested and the cop put the handcuffs on too tight. Now I have nerve damage I think and I don’t know what to do. Can I sue the cop who did this?
Wow. If I had a dime for every time I heard that. It happens very often for sure. The short answer is yes you can. The long answer is that it may be a long haul to get a lawsuit going and then win it to get that asshole to pay money. The issue is whether he used excessive force in effecting the arrest. Of course you will say he used excessive force but he will say that he didn’t. Then it comes down to who can hire the better expert witness to convince a jury who is right. I’ll tell you: maybe a better plan, before you waste a bunch of money and time on a lawyer, is to get a doctor to say that you have actually suffered damage (put it in writing), and then start an IA (internal affairs) file on that cop. Cops hate to be investigated by their IA departments and they take it VERY seriously. Of course you can post your case on BernieSez and get some more specific advice from lawyers in your area (which is a good idea for sure). But if you just want to get the ball rolling yourself, start an IA investigation and have that cop called on the carpet!
