[pbufh]

About a week ago I was at my cousins reception. to make a long story short i was assaulted by a 35 year old male (im 20) for no reason other than the fact that he didnt like my brother. I didnt hit him back or even say a word to him. I was struck 5 times in the face, and there were about 10 witnesses that saw him hit me. The cops came and the male wasnt arrested.. I phoned the police and told them i wanted to lay assault charges on the man who did this to me. The cop basically tryed to talk me out of it saying that "these things usually just get bigger if you charge them" and that "the guy who hit me could say i hit him first and i could get assault charges" basically he was just saying a bunch of crap (i dont think he wants to do the paper work).. anyways he told me to talk to my parents about it, and they want me to go forth with it. I phoned him and he hasnt returned my calls. Now my question is, Is it up to me to press assault charges or is it up to the police? and what can i do?

also im thinkin about bringing this as a civil suit becuase im having eye problems, it hurts my head to move my eye and the doctor said its out of place. i have to see a Ophthalmologist and i'll see how that goes. i have pics of me the same day and the days after. My other question is should i get a lawyer? and what is something like this worth? is it worth it?

[aaron]

Sometimes it can be tricky to get a lawyer for injuries from a fight or intentional attack, as insurance doesn't usually cover such incidents. (People who like to brawl or assault other people often don't have many personal assets to pay a judgment.) However, sometimes recovery can be made from the person's wages, and sometimes the defendant actually will have the means to pay a judgment even when there is no insurance.

To clarify your rights and remedies, it couldn't hurt to consult a local personal injury lawyer about your situation.