Toledo, Ohio
Civil Litigation Attorneys

Toledo, Ohio Civil Litigation Attorneys

Know the facts about tort of outrage

On Behalf of | Sep 28, 2019 | Employer Tort

When Ohio residents start a new job, they usually do not expect their new work environment to be hostile. However, sometimes someone may experience emotional trauma because of another employee’s intentional actions. FindLaw says this intentional behavior is a tort of outrage.

Sometimes people may think that any rude or unpleasant behavior at work is a tort of outrage. However, this is not the case. The tort of outrage typically occurs when someone at a workplace intentionally acts in a way that makes another person experience mental distress. This mental distress might be embarrassment or fright that a person could not deal with. Another important component of this tort is an employer’s failure to act. When people experience this kind of treatment at work, they may speak to their supervisor. If a supervisor refuses to acknowledge the situation, the company may also be liable for the employee’s behavior.

There are several components which come together to make up tort of outrage. According to FindLaw, people generally have to prove that one of their colleagues engaged in extreme conduct. Most of the time, this conduct is not simply behavior that someone disapproves of. The exact definition of this conduct usually varies from situation to situation. If a colleague knows that someone has a specific phobia and intentionally tries to scare him or her, this may be considered extreme behavior. Additionally, people usually have to demonstrate that they experienced extreme emotional distress. This distress may take the form of severe ulcers or headaches. In other situations, a person might show that he or she continually felt anxiety after their colleague engaged in extreme conduct. 

It is important to remember that intention is an important part of the tort of outrage. If someone engages in outrageous conduct but does not intend to cause emotional distress, then this tort usually does not take place. People may have to demonstrate that a colleague knew or should have known that his or her actions would result in emotional distress.