Most people know that when you get injured in a car accident that is caused by someone else’s negligence, you can pursue compensation from the responsible person or an insurance company. Likewise, if someone breaks into your house, kills your spouse, and steals your property, you can pursue a claim against that person in civil court for the losses you experience.

But those are examples involving private citizens. What happens if someone is injured or has their civil rights violated by a government official, especially when that official is acting in the capacity of their role as a government agent? What happens, for example, if a police officer illegally profiles someone and uses that illegal profiling to wrongly search, arrest, and use excessive force on that person, causing injuries and trauma? 

There are laws protecting civilians from civil rights violations. However, cases involving civil litigation against government officials are more complicated and subject to stricter regulations than personal injury actions against private citizens. If you think your civil rights have been violated by a government employee, talk to a Milwaukee, WI Section 1983 attorney right away.