Yes, you can reasonably consider an intentional, unprovoked, and unwanted bump in the street as a form of physical assault or battery.
While many people associate "assault" only with severe injury or punches, legally, it refers to any intentional, non-consensual, and offensive touching.
Here is a breakdown of why this qualifies and the legal context:
Why It Qualifies as Assault
- Intent: The key factor is that it was done on purpose, rather than an accidental stumble in a crowd.
- Unwanted/Offensive Contact: Even if no injury occurred, the act is considered "battery" (the physical act) and "assault" (the apprehension of it) if it was done to provoke, annoy, or alarm you.
- No Injury Needed: The law does not require you to have broken bones or bruises for it to be legally defined as assault.
