Laws on Physical Injuries

We always have heard and read about physical injuries, have we not?

This term sometimes occupied the whole page of a broadsheet when it involves a popular person, just like the case of Vhong Navarro.  Though, this term seems ubiquitous today, but I believe not all of us are duly informed of its details.

Thus, this post is aimed at discussing the classification of physical injuries as defined by the Revised Penal Code.  Hopefully, after reading this, you may have a full grasp about the legal facets of physical injuries.

Physical injury is defined as impairment of physical condition or pain (http://definitions.uslegal.com/i/injury/).  This injury is committed by other person intentionally.  Basically, if the injuries are committed in the absence of any intent of killing the person injured, it is just physical injuries.  Otherwise, if the infliction of injuries is coupled with the intent of killing him, the crime would be either homicide or murder as the case may be.

In our criminal laws, physical injuries has been classified into:

1.  Slight Physical Injuries

2.  Less Serious Physical Injuries

3.  Serious Physical Injuries

Slight Physical Injuries:

When the offender has inflicted physical injuries which shall incapacitate the offended party for labor from one (1) to nine (9) days, or shall require medical attendance during the same period (from 1 to 9 days).  The penalty shall only be arresto menor or imprisonment of one (1) day to thirty (30) days or a fine not exceeding 200 pesos.

Less Serious Physical Injuries:

When the offender has inflicted physical injuries which shall incapacitate the offended party for labor for ten (10) days or more but not more than thirty (30) days, or shall require medical attendance for the same period shall be guilty of this crime.

Penalties of Less Serious Physical Injuries:

1.  Arresto Mayor - if the victim was incapacitated for labor for ten (10) days or more but not more than thirty (30) days, or shall require medical attendance for the same period.  (Imprisonment of 30 days and 1 day to 6 months.)

2.  Additional Fine of Not Exceeding 500 Pesos to the Penalty of Arresto Mayor - if the less serious physical injuries is with the manifest intent to insult or offend the injured person, or under circumstances adding ignominy to the offense.

3.  Prision Correccional - if the less serious physical injuries is inflicted upon the offender's parents, ascendants, guardians, curators, teachers, or persons of rank, or persons in authority, provided the deed does not constitute the crime of assault upon such person.  (Imprisonment of 6 months and 1 day to 6 years.)

Serious Physical Injuries:

Any person who shall wound, beat, or assault another, shall be guilty of the crime of serious physical injuries and shall suffer:

1.  Prision Mayor - the injured person shall become insane, imbecile, impotent, or blind.  (Imprisonment of 6 years and 1 day to 12 years.)

2.  Prision Correccional in its medium and maximum periods - the injured person shall have lost the use of speech or the power to hear or to smell, or shall have lost an eye, a hand, a foot, an arm, or a leg, or shall have lost the use of any such member, or shall have become incapacitated for the work in which he was therefor habitually engaged.

3.  Prision Correccional in its minimum and medium periods - the person injured shall have become deformed, or shall have lost any part of his body, or shall have lost the use therefor, or shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance of the work in which he was habitually engaged for a period of more than ninety (90) days.

4.  Arresto Mayor in its maximum period to Prision Correccional in its minimum period - if the physical injuries inflicted shall have caused the illness or incapacity for labor of the injured person for more than thirty (30) days.