Which tort requires physical injury or physical impact to recover for emotional distress?

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Under negligent infliction of emotional distress, recovery for emotional distress typically requires a physical injury or physical impact resulting from the defendant’s negligence. This requirement ties the psychological harm to a tangible, bodily consequence, limiting claims to those with a measurable physical connection. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, by contrast, rests on outrageous conduct causing severe distress and does not require any physical injury. Nuisance and Trespass to Land focus on interference with use or possession of land rather than on emotional distress damages, so they aren’t governed by a rule tying distress to physical injury. Therefore, the tort that requires physical injury or physical impact to recover for emotional distress is Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress.