Civil Injury

An Infringement or privation of some civil right, and which is a subject for civil redress or compensation, as distinguished from a crime, which is a subject for punishment. 3 Steph. Comm. 556. See "Civil Rights."

Injuries to person or property, resulting from a breach of contract, delict, or criminal offense, which may be redressed by means of a civil action. Cullinan v. Burk-hard, 41 Misc. Rep. 321, 84 N. Y. Supp. 825

Defined under Injury in Black's Law Dictionary.

Injuries to person or’ property, resulting from a breach of contract, delict, or criminal offense, which may be redressed by means of a civil action.

An infringement or privation of some civil right, and which is a subject for civil redress or compensation; as distinguished from a crim£, which is a subject for punishment.* 8 Steph. Com. 656. See Civil right. Civil injuries are defined or described by Sir W. Blackstone as "private wrongs," being " an infringement or privation of the private or civil rights belonging to individuals, considered as individuals," and in this respect distinguishable from crimes or misdemeanors, which " are a breach and violation of public rights and duties, which affect the whole community, considered as a community." 3 Bl. Com. 2. This distinction between private and public hardly seems to express that which exists between civil injuries and crimes; as a wrong may obviously be of a public character, affecting (though indirectly,) a whole community, and yet at the same time, in its nature only a civil injury. The withholding of debts or duties from a public ^municipal) corporation, a state, and the national government itself, is obviously of this description; the remedy being merely by a civil action, though a community is the complaining party. The distinction between private and jpu6* lie rights, in the definition of civil injuries, has l^en properly rejected by Mr. Stephen, who, in place of the definition of Blackstone, describes civil injuries as " the violation of private or public rights, when considered in reference to the injury sustained by the individual, and consequently as subjects for civil redi-ess or compensation," and distinguishes them in this respect from crimes, which " are the violation of public or private rights, when considered in reference to their evil tendency as regards the community at large, and accordingly visited with punishment. 3 Steph. Com. 366, and note {d).