Maison Law represents the victims of accidents and trauma that occur at California college fraternities such as Sigma Phi Epsilon. Our personal injury lawyers demand compensation for injured students when Greek organizations are negligent in their duty to keep guests, pledges, and members safe from harm. That can include the dangerous act of hazing that puts students at risk. We provide a free, no-obligation consultation for all victims and their families. Contact us to set up a confidential case review.
Do I Need a Lawyer After an Injury at a Fraternity House?
If your injury is serious or you are left with trauma from something that happens at a frat or sorority house, you should speak to a lawyer about your case. Families who lose loved ones in deadly accidents should also talk with a lawyer in a confidential consultation to find out about their options to seek justice.
A skilled California Fraternity Accident Attorney is an important safeguard against the tactics lawyers for colleges and fraternities will use. A Maison Law attorney fully investigates each case and makes sure a fraternity can’t cover up what happened or get away with trying to blame the victim. Our lawyers demand the most in benefits possible for victims and family members so they can heal and rebuild their lives.
Potential Hazards in Greek Life at Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity or Sig Ep is a social organization with around 260 chapters nationwide.
According to the Sig Ep website, the fraternity has around 20 chapters across California. Including Greek houses at UC Fresno State, Sacramento State, San Diego State, Pepperdine, and Stanford.
Membership offers a great path to meeting friends and establishing lifelong connections. It’s also a place to socialize and attend parties. But living in a frat house and attending parties can carry risks to people’s safety. Members and visitors must be careful, but if someone is hurt, the fraternity also bears responsibility for preventable injuries and trauma.
Private colleges and fraternities, like any businesses, have to show a “legal” duty of care to their students, members, and guests. They must prevent and remove hazards that could hurt someone and protect students and members from getting hurt by others.
When they are negligent in this duty, fraternal organizations and colleges can be held liable for the damages, hardships, injuries, and deaths that result.
These are just a few of the hazards that a fraternity like Sigma Phi Epsilon can be held responsible for:
- Hazing injuries
- Alcohol poisoning
- Other underage drinking hazards
- Physical assault
- Slip-and-fall hazards in poorly maintained houses, cluttered houses, and on grounds, including falls from windows and roofs
- Shock hazards from exposed wiring in dorm rooms
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Risks
- Injuries suffered during sporting events and unsafe Greek games
- Bonfire dangers
- Discriminatory behavior
- Sexual assault and rape
- Emotional trauma involving humiliation and embarrassment
- Negligent security that leads to criminal acts
- Gross Negligence
- Wrongful Death
The evidence for these types of accidents and criminal acts is often quickly covered up. It’s important to alert a skilled Maison Law attorney about what happened. Your lawyer will start a full investigation immediately to secure evidence and testimony.
Your lawyer is a safeguard and makes sure your voice is heard and works to make it less likely it will happen ever again. Your attorney also gets aggressive in demanding the most in support possible for you to cover every hardship now and those to come in the future.
Who Is Responsible If I’m Hurt at a Sigma Phi Epsilon Party?
In some cases, there may be several organizations found liable for your injuries or your child’s injuries. Your attorney would identify every party that should be contributing to your recovery and your family’s recovery. A claim against every party would be filed, making it more likely that every damage victims suffer is covered in multiple settlement checks.
And it’s not just a fraternal organization that could be found liable after an accident or a criminal act. These are a few of the potentially liable parties when someone gets hurt at a Greek House.
- National fraternity organization over Sigma Phi Epsilon chapters
- Alumni chapter or alumni corporation
- Private college
- The State of California in the case of an accident associated with a public university campus
These and other entities can all be the target of an injury claim. Your Maison Law attorney will have the experience and negotiating skills to make sure lawyers for universities and fraternities do the right thing. If they refuse to accept blame, your lawyer will be ready to file a lawsuit and take those responsible to court.
What Should I Do If I Am Injured During Hazing at Sigma Phi Epsilon?
If you are hurt during a hazing incident, you should call 911 and request an ambulance and a police response. If you are able and it’s safe, get photos of your surroundings and any visible injuries.
Hazing is illegal in California. Under CA Penal Code Section 245.6, also known as Matt’s Law, anyone caught hazing or planning to haze someone, even with no injury involved, can face misdemeanor charges. A fine of up to $5,000 and up to a year in jail is possible. If someone is seriously hurt or killed during the hazing, guilty parties will face felony charges and much more serious punishments.
The rituals are billed as tradition and rites of passage, but people are injured and even killed in these sometimes reckless activities. Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapters have an unfortunate history with hazing incidents. The large fraternal organization has faced national scrutiny and punishment.
The Poly Post reported on an incident in 2009 that led to the loss of a chapter at Cal Poly Pomona for over a decade. It stemmed from second-degree burn injuries suffered by a potential recruit. Nine students were suspended and 45 were placed on disciplinary probation over the incident.
In a more recent case, in 2024, the Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapter at Davidson College in North Carolina was suspended for five years for hazing new members.
These types of incidents can leave victims badly injured and also afraid to step forward. Reach out to California hazing injury lawyer to schedule a confidential case consultation and to go over your options for seeking justice.
Will I Have to Wait On a Criminal Trial to File an Injury Claim Against a Fraternity?
No. Victims will be filing a civil claim after an incident results in an injury or death. Any criminal charges filed over what happened would be settled separately. Victims and their families can file a civil lawsuit whenever they are ready.
Victims and their families file personal injury claims seeking money for help in recovery. These can be filed at any time, even if a criminal trial hasn’t started yet.
The outcome of a criminal trial doesn’t affect your civil claim. A fraternity may have to pay out damages in a settlement even if found not guilty by a judge in a criminal trial. Your lawyer would seek a fair settlement for you and your family, but also be ready to seek justice in a civil trial if necessary.
Compensation Available for College Fraternity Victims
Your Maison Law representative creates a full list of your hardships since an accident or a criminal attack. The list must also include the difficult recovery you may still face in the years ahead.
Your lawyer would total your current medical bills and other needs and estimate the cost of care you’ll need in the coming years. That could mean support for a lifetime. The emotional trauma you endure must also factor into the fraternity personal injury settlement check you receive.
Your lawyer will be demanding compensation for these and other factors:
- The costs of current medical treatment and any care expected to be necessary in the future.
- Costs relating to the pain experienced as a consequence of the accident.
- Support for emotional distress a frightening accident or attack causes.
- Potential future income loss if permanently disabled and unable to work.
- Setbacks to the educational progress of a student. Perhaps money for a victimized student to enroll at another college.
- Income lost from a college job.
- Reimbursement for personal property damage.
- Wrongful death benefits. Families may file wrongful death claims against fraternities and sororities. These claims would seek assistance with funeral costs and leftover medical expenses. A Fraternity Wrongful Death Attorney would also demand support for the future relationship loved ones have lost with a child and for the income and guidance the deceased can no longer support the family with.
Contact a Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity Personal Injury Lawyer
Maison Law aggressively protects victims and loved ones after an accident or attack at a Greek house. We want to handle the frustrating negotiations with lawyers for reckless fraternal organizations and universities. Our California Fraternity Accident Lawyers will be fighting for justice while victims are allowed to focus on healing and families are permitted to grieve a loss.
Maison Law offers a free and confidential case consultation to all victims who suffer harm on campus or at a Greek house. Contact us today and let us answer your questions and go over the best options for holding a fraternity or sorority responsible for their negligence.
