Sometimes a person’s act may lead to both criminal and civil actions. For example, Piet hits one of the employees in his factory. This is a crime of assault. The state will prosecute him in the criminal court if the employee lays a charge against him. If there is enough proof to show that he is guilty, he may be punished by the state.

But Piet ALSO causes pain to the employee. This is a damage that one person does to another person. The injured employee could sue Piet for damages and make him pay compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. This will be a civil claim for damages through the civil court.