A party at a Penn State fraternity house, Beta Theta Pi on February 2nd, resulted in the injury and death of one of the students pledging to become a brother. This is being described as another hazing ritual gone wrong after making pledges consume alcohol at various drinking areas in a very short amount of time. One of the pledges became so drunk from this event that he fell down the stairs. The story may have had a different outcome if they had contacted 911 right away, but the party continued.

On the following morning after the party, the fraternity brothers finally reached out for help by contacting emergency services. The man was taken to the hospital for treatment, and passed away the following day from the injuries that he sustained during the party. This has created a firestorm on the college campus and across the states. The fraternity has been banned from opening again at the college since this was not the first time that they had broken the college’s rules and there is currently a criminal trial proceedings for 18 of the members of the fraternity. They face a number of charges, including manslaughter, tampering with the evidence, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment.

The family of the victim has reported that doctors told them that if their son had been brought in sooner, he may have had a better chance at surviving his injuries. This tragedy has prompted the university to look at their policies to try to prevent this type of accident from occurring in the future.

If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of someone else, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the other party that is believed to have caused the death. Contact the law office of Mark A. Smith to learn more about your rights under the law.