Traditional Assault
What Do You Mean by "Traditional Assault"?
By using the term "traditional assault" we mean an assault that could not be well classified as domestic violence or bullying. Of course, you can sue for assault regardless of how it is classified here.
What Counts as a "Traditional Assault"?
If someone sets out to hurt you and does, indeed, hurt your physically, that is assault. You can also sue even if the person did not intend to cause the kind of injury you suffered or did not mean to cause injury at all. For example, let us say someone at a hotel intentionally put a squeaky toy on the ground as a practice joke. You stepped on the squeaky toy, lost your balance and fell, breaking your arm. That is sufficient for assault. The person who put the squeaky toy on the floor intentionally committed the "bad act." The fact that that person did not intend to cause someone physical injury does not relieve them from liability for assault.
Can I Sue for Assault if I Don't Know that Name of the Person Who Committed the Assault?
If the person who committed the assault did so as an employee of a business (like the bouncer at a bar), you can sue the bar. The actions of an employee under most circumstances is the action of the business. The business, therefore, can be held liable if an employee assaults you.
Even if the person who committed the assault is not an employee of the business, you might be able to sue the business anyway. If the risk to you as a customer is reasonably foreseeable to the business, the business has to take reasonable measures to prevent the risk. The business always has an obligation to take reasonable measures to stop an ongoing fight.