Over the past month, front pages of newspapers across the country have been splashed with dramatic pictures of police clashing with protesters, and on social media there seems to be an endless feed of graphic videos depicting violent police encounters. From a purely legal perspective, attorneys know that behind each image is a potential lawsuit, and in front, looking on, is a potential juror.

That is why civil rights attorneys expect cities and towns across the country will see a growing number of lawsuits and payouts in the coming years to those claiming to have been the victim of civil rights abuses by police.