The Illinois Supreme Court first recognized negligent infliction of emotional distress as a cause of action in Braun v. Craven. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress is defined as intentionally or recklessly causing another person severe emotional distress through extreme or outrageous acts. When someone else's purposeful action causes you harm, you might have a viable personal injury case. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress The Illinois Supreme Court first recognized intentional infliction of emotional distress as a cause of action in Knieriem v. Izzo, 22 Ill. 2d 73 (1961). View … Illinois Public Media page. This can be a result of either the Defendant's acts or words. 217-333-7300 willamfm@illinois.edu emotional distress, one for intentional infliction of emotional distress and another for negligent infliction of emotional distress. Subscribe to our newsletters to get updates about Illinois Public Media's role in giving voice to local arts, education, new ideas, and community needs, sent straight to your inbox. In some personal injury cases, attorneys can prove that there was an intentional infliction of emotional distress upon their client. In tort law, intentional infliction of emotional distress (“IIED”) refers to when a defendant intentionally or recklessly behaves in a way that is so “extreme and outrageous” that it causes another person to suffer severe emotional distress or trauma. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress The plaintiff argued that the trial court should not have dismissed the claim because it was a triable issue of fact for the jury whether the defendants’ conduct was extreme and outrageous. The court These kinds of claims are based on the theory of intentional tort.Injuries resulting from physical acts like assault and battery can form the basis of an intentional tort claim, but emotionally-harmful actions can too. Everyone experiences a degree of emotional distress after any injury; the key is proving that the distress caused by an injury was profound or traumatic enough to merit compensation. The Court then turned to plaintiff’s claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Illinois Court of Appeal Reverses Dismissal of Plaintiff’s Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress Claim by Therman Law Offices, LTD. The tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress has four elements: (1) the defendant must act intentionally or recklessly; (2) the defendant's conduct must be extreme and outrageous; and (3) the conduct must be the cause (4) of severe emotional distress. 1. 1 The Braun court held that a plaintiff seeking to assert a claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress was required to allege and prove a contemporaneous physical injury or impact. See Fletcher v. Western National Life Insurance Co., 10 Cal.App.3d 376 (1970). The tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED) occurs when one acts abominably or outrageously with intent to cause another to suffer severe emotional distress, such as issuing the threat of future harm.. Prima Facie Case. If you need Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress help in Illinois, contact John J. Malm & Associates, P.C., a local practice in Chicago, for legal representation. 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