In California, you can sue for "intentional infliction of emotional distress". You can also claim damages for "negligent infliction of emotional distress". I'm not a lawyer, but my guess is that if one of your fellow passangers on a public bus calls you a "twat" without provocation, you would not have a winning case, because you really should be able to withstand such a minor insult. It certainly would not count as "slander", because calling you a "twat" is not an assertion of fact; rather, it is merely an expression of opinion.
Donoghue v Stevenson (1932)
Can actions causing stress be seen as negligence what is the duty of care on public transport
In California, you can sue for "intentional infliction of emotional distress". You can also claim damages for "negligent infliction of emotional distress".
I'm not a lawyer, but my guess is that if one of your fellow passangers on a public bus calls you a "twat" without provocation, you would not have a winning case, because you really should be able to withstand such a minor insult.
It certainly would not count as "slander", because calling you a "twat" is not an assertion of fact; rather, it is merely an expression of opinion.