Under what conditions can a defendant be held liable for assault?

A defendant can be held liable for assault when they intend to cause the plaintiff to anticipate imminent harmful or offensive contact. This highlights the subjective element of assault, which hinges on the defendant's mindset and intent. Unlike battery, which requires actual physical contact, assault focuses on the apprehension generated in the victim. The mere intention to create fear or expectations of impending harm, without needing to carry out the physical act, fulfills the key requirement for liability.

This definition encompasses the essence of assault as a tort that can occur even in the absence of actual physical injury. It's about the defendant's ability to instill fear or concern in the plaintiff regarding imminent contact. The anticipation of harmful contact is crucial; hence, if the plaintiff reasonably perceives that harmful or offensive contact is about to occur, the legal threshold for assault is met.

In this context, the other options do not fully capture the comprehensive nature of assault. For instance, actual harm is irrelevant to establish assault on its own, as is the physical contact requirement since assault does not necessitate any physical interaction. The plaintiff's fear, while important, is secondary to the defendant's intent to create that fear of imminent harm. Thus, the correct understanding of assault hinges primarily on the defendant's intention to inst