What can he be charged for? (sucker punched me)

[Freakshow]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Tennessee

Last night around 10:00 PM I had stepped outside of a friend's apartment to smoke a cigarette. A friend of mine (which he no longer is) was on the second story and he yelled something down at me. I truly didn't understand him and we both met half way. I truly thought he was just joking or messing around, I didn't know he wanted to fight. That's why I walked to him, as he was walking to me, just to talk. I'm not a trouble-maker.

He stated "I'm about to hit you." I had no clue why, and still wasn't sure if he was serious. I had a smile on my face, and held my hand out to shake his hand, and I told him "I thought we were friends, man". He pushed me on the steps, but I didn't really move. I said again, still not mad, "What's wrong, I thought we were friends?". He pushed me again and said he was going to hit me. I reached up, didn't even get to push him, I said quit pushing me (I was a step or two below him), he sucker punched me 3 times in the face (right eye and right part of nose). I was bleeding, my friends pulled me back. I didn't even want to fight, but before I could even get my vision back, he got in his brother's truck and left. The guy doesn't even have a driver's license.

Being that 911 was called, I had to go to the police station and file a report. They told me to go to the hospital. I don't have insurance. The police said that if I charged him, he would have to pay the hospital bills. Hospital gave me a shot of anti-inflammatory, blood tests, and a CT scan. I don't know what the bill is even going to be.

Please, can anyone let me know what to expect out of this? I want to charge the guy. There are 4 or 5 witnesses that saw him threaten to hit me, hit me, and then leave the scene. I'm almost 23, he's probably 24-25. This is the first physical fight I've ever been in. I'm an easy going person, never been violent.

 

[FlyingRon]

Being charged with a crime won't make him pay your bills. Even being convicted won't guarantee it. You can sue him in small claims either way although a conviction will certainly bolster your case.

 

[JETX]

Please, can anyone let me know what to expect out of this?

Expect to get a hospital bill. Though you can certainly ask your 'friend' to pay it, absent a court order, there is no obligation for him to do so.

I want to charge the guy.

You don't get to do that. You only file the complaint (which you say you have already done). the police will then investigate and if a violation of the law did occur, will forward the complaint to the prosecutor. The prosecutor will then review the case and determine if the laws were broken and whether there is sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction.

You can file a civil suit against the other person to try to recover your 'damages'. The court will hear the case and your claims.

 

[Freakshow]

Oh, no, this doesn't sound good. The officer is the one who told me to go to the hospital. I told him I didn't have insurance, he said if I press charges, the assaulter will have to pay the bills. What do you guys have to say about that? He said I should go to make sure my bone below the eye wasn't broke (it wasn't).

Maybe the officer was talking about filing a civil suit. Would I need a lawyer for that, or would I get a court appointed one? Would I have a high chance of him having to pay the medical bills if I did that?

And what do you mean I can't charge him? Try not to be too picky with my terminology. I'm a computer guru and a mechanic, not a lawyer. Should I say I want to 'press charges' against him? There's a lot about DUI on the net, but little about assault and battery. Most of it is domestic assault stuff. I'm new to this. Never even been in a fight, before, and we had no grudge or anything of the like. I think he was on drugs. He wouldn't answer what was wrong when I asked him.