Hazing Cases

Providing Expert Insight to Help Lawyers Handle Hazing-Related Claims

All fraternities should be well aware that hazing is unacceptable. Not only have colleges and universities updated their codes of conduct to forbid hazing, but many states also making hazing a criminal offense. Despite knowing these rules and how dangerous hazing can be, fraternities throughout the United States continue to engage in harmful hazing behavior, and pledges routinely suffer severe physical and mental injuries as a result.

Attorney David K. Easlick, Jr. is committed to stopping hazing practices by fraternities whenever possible. As part of his plight, he lends his expert knowledge of fraternities and related insurance claims to assist law firms that represent injured pledges and students. As an expert witness, we can conduct a careful analysis of the evidence available to provide consulting advice and serve as a testifying witness in depositions and at trial. If you are handling a hazing claim, call today to learn more about our services.

Hazing Causes Injuries

Fraternities may have “official” risk management policies that prohibit hazing activities. However, these policies do not stop fraternity brothers from continually hazing each new group of pledges. As fraternities are supposed to build a sense of brotherhood and lifelong friendships, it makes no sense that fraternities would seriously humiliate, injure, or even kill someone who was trying to be a friend. Though this is what fraternities engage in on a regular basis.

Hazing results in a wide range of injuries, and can include the following horrific behaviors:

• Withholding food, water, or sleep from pledges

• Isolating pledges in locked basements

• Forcing pledges to ensure physical assaults

• Forcing pledges to remain in extreme heat or extreme cold

• Forcing pledges to lay on broken glass

• Forcing pledges (many underage) to drink excessive amounts of alcohol

• Other types of mental and physical torture

Pledges regularly die of alcohol poisoning or other binge drinking-related injuries. Some pledges are physically scarred or mentally traumatized for months or years after a terrible and completely unacceptable hazing experience.

As an expert witness, we’ve worked on cases involving life-changing injuries or horrible deaths. We review medical records, autopsy reports, witness accounts, fraternity policies and reports, cell phone and text records between members, and much more. We work to build a persuasive case not only regarding how the harm occurred, but how fraternities fail to respond appropriately or try to protect members from criminal liability and the chapter from civil liability.

Discuss How an Expert Witness Can Get You on the Path to Success in Your Case

As a fraternity member of Delta Kappa Epsilon since 1966, David K. Easlick, Jr. highly appreciates the benefits of fraternity culture, though strongly believes that all injury and death-causing hazing practices should never be tolerated. Victims of hazing and families should receive full compensation from fraternities for their injury or death-related losses, though this is rarely a simple endeavor. Attorneys who handle hazing-related cases need to build the strongest team possible, including a knowledgeable fraternity expert witness. Contact us today for more information.