Rand Paul wins a big settlement in case against neighbor who assaulted him

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was awarded a large settlement in his lawsuit against the neighbor who assaulted him back in November 2017, according to The New York Times.

Paul suffered broken ribs and got pneumonia after being attacked by Rene Boucher while mowing his lawn. Boucher pleaded guilty on a felony assault charge.

"We can hold different views, whether it's politics, religion or day to day matters," Paul wrote on Twitter. "It's never ok to turn those disagreements into violent, aggressive anger. I hope that's the message from today."

How much did he get?

In total, Paul was awarded nearly $600,000 by the Kentucky jury. $375,000 in punitive damages, $200,000 for pain and suffering, and almost $8,000 for medical expenses.

Paul was seeking $500,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

The original incident

Boucher had been neighbors with Paul for almost 20 years. Over time, he said he had grown increasingly frustrated with Paul for stacking debris near the property dividing line.

That frustration apparently bubbled over in November 2017 when Boucher tackled Paul while he was mowing his lawn because Paul was blowing leaves into Boucher's yard.

Paul was allegedly fully blindsided by the attack, having just gotten off his riding mower and wearing sound-muting earmuffs, according to the Times.

Boucher said the attack was not political, and that he simply lost his temper over a yard disagreement. Paul has suggested otherwise, with a spokesman saying last year that "Any description of this attack that implies a 'yard dispute' justifies such violence and misses the point."

Boucher was sentenced to 30 days in prison for the assault. He was also fined $10,000 and put on probation for one year.