Sen. Rand Paul’s neighbor has been ordered to pay $580,000 in damages and medical expenses after losing the lawsuit Paul brought against him for injuries sustained when he tackled Paul over lawn maintenance issues at their shared property line. This award was on top of the 30 days the neighbor had to spend in jail plus a $10,000 fine and 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty for attacking a member of Congress, even though the argument was over grass and not weed.

Neighbor Fight Over Grass Pile

Sen. Paul was riding his lawn mower to cut grass. According to Paul, out of nowhere, after dismounting his mower to pick up a stick, he was pounced on by his neighbor, Rene Boucher. Paul didn’t hear Boucher coming because he was wearing noise-canceling headphones, and therefore didn’t have time to avoid or brace for the attack.

According to Paul, Boucher, an anesthesiologist, hit him with such force that they both flew five to ten feet through the air. The argument was over creation of grass brush piles. Boucher said he was still livid over previous piles Rand had made and subsequently pushed onto his property, which Boucher had set fire to the day prior. That fire exploded, and left second degree burns on Boucher’s face, neck and arms, and Boucher said he was still in severe pain when he attacked Paul that next day. Rand doesn’t dispute the brush piles, but claimed they were all on his property line, including the ones Paul burned and the ones he was making that day.

Rand Receives High Punitive Award

Boucher broke six of Rand’s ribs in the tackle. Rand also said he was scared, as he laid on the ground in pain, and had a flashback to the 2017 shooting at a baseball practice members of Congress were having, which left Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana with serious injuries. It only took two hours for the jury to come back with the award: $375,000 in punitive damages and $200,000 for pain and suffering, plus $7,834 for medical expenses. Boucher plans to appeal.

If you have been attached, physically or verbally, by a neighbor, contact a local personal injury attorney. We all know that sometimes it’s hard to get along with neighbors. But violence is never the answer. If you have suffered injuries, consider contacting a personal injury lawyer today.

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