You may be able to sue you abuser for damages.  When one person injures another in some way, that act is called a "tort." The person injured by the tort may sue the wrongdoer for damages. Legally, torts are known as civil wrongs, as opposed to criminal laws. However, some acts of domestic violence, such as battery, may be both torts and crimes; the wrongdoer may face both civil and criminal penalties.

Under traditional law, family members were prohibited from suing each other for torts. The justification was that allowing family members to sue each other would lead to a breakdown of the family. However, many states now recognize that if family members have committed torts against each other, the relationships are already suffering from breakdown. Consequently, they no longer bar family members from suing each other. In these states, spouses may sue each other either during the marriage or after they have separated.

A few states still prohibit one family member from suing another. A court may make an exception, however, when the tort is intentional, that is, a deliberate act which causes harm to another person. The behaviors that constitute domestic violence: assault, battery, psychological abuse, are almost always considered intentional torts.