Sam Worthington and his model girlfriend Lara Bingle are facing a $US10 million lawsuit from the paparazzo they clashed with in New York earlier this year.

Photographer Sheng Li’s lawyer Mark Heller has also filed a criminal complaint calling for a federal probe into how the assault was handled by police.

Li had accused Worthington and Bingle of assaulting him as he attempted to take shots of them in New York in February this year.

Both are also being accused of slander and libel for allegedly making false statements about Li to the New York Police Department.

In his legal documents, obtained by TMZ.com, Li claims he suffered a torn shoulder, facial contusions and injuries to his thumb and wrist in the altercation.

Worthington and Sheng Li were both arrested after the brawl and slapped with counts of assault. But Li’s charges were dismissed in Manhattan Criminal Court back in May.

Worthington reached a deal with prosecutors to have his third-degree assault, third-degree attempted assault and second-degree harassment charges dismissed in April, as long as he stays out of trouble.