Can I sue someone for just emotional distress?

It is generally possible to bring a legal claim for emotional distress, also known as “infliction of emotional distress,” in some circumstances. In order to succeed in such a claim, the person bringing the claim (the plaintiff) must be able to show that the defendant’s actions were extreme and outrageous, and that the defendant’s conduct caused the plaintiff to suffer severe emotional distress.

In order to be considered extreme and outrageous, the defendant’s conduct must go beyond what a reasonable person would consider to be tolerable in the course of a normal, everyday relationship. The conduct must also be intended to cause, or recklessly disregard the risk of causing, emotional distress.

It is important to note that emotional distress is a type of “pain and suffering,” and is typically considered to be a type of intangible harm. As such, it can be difficult to quantify the damages associated with emotional distress in monetary terms. In some jurisdictions, a plaintiff may be able to recover damages for emotional distress as a standalone claim, while in others, the emotional distress must be a result of physical harm or property damage.