Actual bodily harm is generally defined as any hurt or injury calculated to interfere with the health or comfort of the victim. The precise definition varies by jurisdiction. One court has held that a telephone call or a series of telephone calls, followed by silence, could constitute an assault causing actual bodily harm.
Actual bodily harm has also recently been defined by some case law to include shock and nervous conditions. Actual bodily harm is most commonly used as an element of the offense of asault, but is also relevant in other contexts, such as workers' compensation.
