The Complete Guide to Hazing Lawsuits in Texas: A Resource for Reno, Lamar County, and All Texas Families

If Your Child Was Hazed at a Texas University, You Are Not Alone

Imagine your son, a college freshman from Reno, Texas, excitedly calls to tell you he’s been offered a bid to join a respected fraternity at the University of Houston. You feel pride, mixed with the natural worry every parent holds. Weeks later, that worry turns to dread. Your child is suddenly evasive, exhausted, and seems physically unwell after “pledge events.” The texts stop making sense—vague references to “mandatory workouts,” late-night driving duties, and a humiliating “pledge fanny pack” he must carry everywhere. Then the worst call comes: he’s in the emergency room, his urine is brown, and doctors are diagnosing acute kidney failure and rhabdomyolysis from extreme physical hazing. Your family’s world shatters.

This is not a hypothetical nightmare. This is the real, active case of Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student we represent in a $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. The detailed allegations in the complaint, covered by Click2Houston, ABC13, and Hoodline, describe systematic abuse: forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting; being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding”; 100+ push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion; and another pledge hog-tied face-down for over an hour. The medical result was catastrophic: severe muscle breakdown leading to kidney failure and a four-day hospitalization.

This case is happening right now in Texas. It is proof that deadly and debilitating hazing is not a relic of the past—it is a present danger on Texas campuses. If you are a parent in Reno, Lamar County, or anywhere in Texas, this guide is for you. We will explain what hazing truly looks like in 2025, the specific Texas laws that govern it, the patterns of abuse at universities like UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin, SMU, and Baylor, and, most importantly, the legal rights and pathways to accountability available to your family.

Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for medical emergencies.
• Then call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We provide immediate help—that’s why we’re the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.

In the first 48 hours:

• Get medical attention immediately, even if the student insists they are “fine.”
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
  • Screenshot group chats, texts, and DMs immediately.
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles.
  • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects).
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity or sorority directly.
  • Sign anything from the university or insurance company.
  • Post details on public social media.
  • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. Universities move quickly to control the narrative. We can help preserve evidence and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, free consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like in Texas

Hazing has evolved far beyond the stereotypical “prank.” It is now a sophisticated system of coercion, psychological control, and physical abuse, often disguised as “tradition,” “bonding,” or “new member education.” For families in Reno and across Texas, understanding these modern tactics is the first step in recognizing danger.

A Modern, Legal Definition

In Texas, hazing is defined by law (Education Code Chapter 37) as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—on or off campus—directed against a student for the purpose of pledging, initiation, affiliation, or maintaining membership in any organization. The act must endanger the student’s mental or physical health or safety. Crucially, the victim’s “consent” is not a legal defense.

The Three Tiers of Modern Hazing

Tier 1: Subtle Hazing & Psychological Control
These behaviors establish power imbalance and set the stage for worse abuse. They are often dismissed as “no big deal.”

• Digital Servitude: 24/7 group chat monitoring (GroupMe, WhatsApp), demands for instant replies at all hours, location-sharing requirements.
• Menial Labor & Servitude: Acting as all-hours chauffeurs, cleaning members’ spaces, running personal errands.
• Social Isolation & Control: Being cut off from non-member friends, requiring permission to socialize, assignment of derogatory nicknames.
• Deception: Being forced to lie to parents, university officials, or outsiders about activities.

Tier 2: Harassment Hazing
Acts that cause emotional or physical discomfort, creating a hostile environment.

• Sleep Deprivation: Late-night “study blocks,” 3 AM wake-up calls, multi-day events with minimal rest.
• Forced Consumption & Deprivation: Drinking excessive amounts of water or milk, eating absurd quantities of bland food (like hot dogs), or being denied food/water.
• Public Humiliation: Wearing degrading costumes in public, being “grilled” or screamed at in front of peers, forced embarrassing social media posts.
• “Punitive” Exercise: “Smokings” with hundreds of push-ups, wall-sits until collapse, bear crawls, sprints—framed as “conditioning.”

Tier 3: Violent & Life-Threatening Hazing
Activities with a high potential for catastrophic injury, sexual assault, or death. This is what hospitalized Leonel Bermudez.

• Forced/Coerced Alcohol Consumption: “Big/Little” nights with handles of liquor, drinking games like “Bible Study” where wrong answers mandate drinks, lineups, forced chugging.
• Physical Assault: Paddling, beating, punching, kicking. “Glass ceiling” or blindfolded tackling rituals.
• Sexualized Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts (“elephant walk”), sexual assault.
• Dangerous Physical Tests: Kidnapping and abandonment, exposure to extreme cold/heat without protection, forced fights.
• Chemical Hazing: Being doused with harmful substances, as alleged in a Texas A&M SAE case that caused chemical burns requiring skin grafts.

Today’s hazing is deliberately mobile and secretive. It happens in off-campus houses, Airbnbs, remote parks (like the Yellowstone Boulevard Park in the UH case), and private retreats to avoid campus security cameras and jurisdiction. The evidence often lives—and is quickly deleted—from smartphones and encrypted apps.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: A Framework for Reno Families

Texas has specific statutes that govern hazing, providing both criminal penalties and a foundation for civil lawsuits. Understanding this framework is essential for families in Lamar County seeking accountability.

The Texas Hazing Statute (Education Code Chapter 37)

• Definition (§37.151): As noted, a broad definition covering intentional, knowing, or reckless acts that endanger physical or mental health for initiation purposes. Location does not matter—off-campus hazing is still illegal.
• Criminal Penalties (§37.152):
  • Class B Misdemeanor: Hazing that does not cause serious injury.
  • Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment.
  • State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Consent is NOT a Defense (§37.155): This is critical. Even if a student “agreed,” it is not a legal defense to prosecution.
• Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting (§37.154): Individuals who report hazing in good faith to university officials or law enforcement are immune from civil or criminal liability. This includes calling 911 in a medical emergency, even if underage drinking was involved.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Two Paths to Accountability

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (DA’s office). Aim is punishment: jail time, fines, probation. Charges can include hazing, assault, furnishing alcohol to a minor, or manslaughter in fatal cases.
• Civil Cases: Brought by the victim or their family. Aim is compensation for damages and institutional accountability. Civil cases do not require a criminal conviction. They focus on negligence, gross negligence, wrongful death, and negligent supervision.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Hazing Lawsuit?

A robust civil case identifies every potentially responsible party to maximize accountability and access insurance coverage.

1. Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, carried out, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: As an entity, if it is incorporated or has assets.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority: Headquarters can be liable for negligent supervision, training, and failure to act on known patterns of abuse across chapters. The Pi Kappa Phi national organization is a defendant in the Bermudez case.
4. The University: Public universities like UH, Texas A&M, and UT have a duty to protect students. They can be sued for deliberate indifference, negligent supervision, or Title IX violations (if hazing is sexualized). The University of Houston and its Board of Regents are named defendants in our ongoing lawsuit.
5. Housing Corporations & Alumni Associations: These entities often own property and carry insurance.
6. Third Parties: Landlords of unsafe properties, bars that overserved alcohol (dram shop liability).

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Playbook Texas Organizations Follow

Tragically, hazing incidents follow predictable scripts. The national cases below are not just history; they are a playbook showing what Texas fraternities, sororities, and universities knew—or should have known—could happen.

The Alcohol Poisoning Script

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injuries after a bid-acceptance night of forced drinking. Brothers delayed calling 911. Result: Dozens of criminal charges, massive civil settlements, and Pennsylvania’ “Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.”
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died from alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game. Result: Felony hazing convictions and Louisiana’s “Max Gruver Act.”
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Died after being forced to drink a bottle of liquor. Result: $10 million settlement ($7M from national Pi Kappa Alpha, ~$3M from BGSU), criminal convictions.

The Physical & Ritualized Abuse Script

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Died from brain injuries after a blindfolded, weighted “glass ceiling” tackling ritual at a retreat. Result: National fraternity convicted of manslaughter, banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.
• Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. Result: Settlements with 22 defendants, chapter closure.

The Athletic Program Script

• Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): Widespread allegations of sexualized and racist hazing. Result: Head coach fired, confidential settlements, multiple lawsuits demonstrating hazing extends far beyond Greek life.

What This Means for Reno Families: These cases create legal precedent. They prove foreseeability. When a Texas chapter repeats the same “Big/Little” drinking night or violent ritual that killed students elsewhere, the national organization and university cannot claim ignorance. This pattern evidence is powerful in civil litigation.

Texas University Focus: Where Reno, Lamar County Students Attend

Families in Reno and Lamar County send their children to universities across Texas. The hazing risks at these institutions are not theoretical; they are documented. Below, we focus on the major hubs, connecting them to the realities Texas families face.

University of Houston (UH)

Snapshot for Houston-Area Families: As a major urban commuter and residential school, UH has a large, active Greek community. The ongoing Bermudez case is a stark, current example of severe hazing here.

• Official Policy & Reporting: UH prohibits hazing and provides reporting channels through the Dean of Students and UHPD. The university called the Pi Kappa Phi allegations “deeply disturbing” and cooperated with the chapter’s closure.
• Documented Incident – The Active Case: The Leonel Bermudez Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu case alleges systemic hazing from Sept-Nov 2025, culminating in life-threatening rhabdomyolysis. The chapter was suspended by nationals on Nov. 6 and voted to surrender its charter on Nov. 14.
• Legal Pathway: Cases may involve UHPD and Houston Police. Civil suits are filed in Harris County courts. Defendants include individuals, the local chapter, the national fraternity, the housing corporation, and the university itself.

Texas A&M University

Snapshot for Statewide Families: A&M’s powerful traditions, massive Greek system, and Corps of Cadets create a high-risk environment for abuse masked as tradition.

• Documented Incidents:
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns (2021): Pledges alleged being doused with industrial cleaner, raw eggs, and spit, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin graft surgeries. The chapter was suspended; lawsuits were filed.
  • Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Allegation (2023): A lawsuit alleged a cadet was hazed by being bound between beds in a degrading, simulated sexual position with an apple in his mouth.
• Legal Pathway: The confluence of Greek life and Corps traditions requires attorneys who understand both cultures and their associated liability structures.

University of Texas at Austin (UT)

Snapshot for Central Texas Families: UT maintains a relatively transparent public hazing violations log, which itself reveals ongoing issues.

• Documented Incidents (From UT’s Public Log):
  • Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): Sanctioned for hazing after new members were directed to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics.
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Assault Allegation (2024): An Australian exchange student sued after allegedly being assaulted at an SAE party, suffering a dislocated leg, broken nose, and fractures. The chapter was already on suspension.
• Legal Pathway: UT’s public log provides families with direct evidence of prior knowledge and patterns, which is invaluable in building a negligence case against the university and organizations.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

Snapshot for Private School Families: These prestigious private universities have significant Greek life but often handle incidents through internal, less-transparent processes.

• SMU – Kappa Alpha Order (2017): Chapter suspended for paddling, forced drinking, and sleep deprivation.
• Baylor – Baseball Team Hazing (2020): 14 players suspended following a hazing investigation, underscoring that abuse extends to athletic programs.

For families in Reno, the crucial takeaway is that no major Texas university is immune. The patterns of forced drinking, physical abuse, and cover-ups repeat across campuses.

The Greek Ecosystem in Texas: A Data-Driven Look

To hold organizations accountable, you must first understand them. At Attorney911, we maintain the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, a proprietary database built from public records that maps the interconnected web of Greek organizations across the state. This isn’t generic information; it’s specific data we use to identify every potentially liable entity in a hazing case.

Public Records Directory: Fraternities, Sororities & Greek Entities Relevant to Texas Families

The following is a sample from our database of over 1,423 Greek-related organizations tracked across 25 Texas metros. These are public IRS (B83) and organizational filings.

Sample of Texas-Registered Greek Organizations (IRS B83 Filings):

• Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – EIN: 746064445 – Nederland, TX 77627
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc – EIN: 462267515 – Frisco, TX 75035
• Kappa Sigma – Mu Gamma Chapter Inc – EIN: 273662583 – Lufkin, TX 75904
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority – EIN: 364091267 – Waco, TX 76710
• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc – Theta Delta – EIN: 475370943 – Houston, TX 77204
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – Texas A&M University – EIN: 900293166 – College Station, TX 77843
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc – EIN: 741380362 – Fort Worth, TX 76147

Metropolitan Concentration (from Cause IQ Data):

• Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metro: 510+ Greek organizations
• Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metro: 188+ Greek organizations
• Austin-Round Rock Metro: 154+ Greek organizations
• San Antonio Metro: 86+ Greek organizations

Why This Data Matters for Your Case:
When hazing occurs, the visible “chapter” is often just the tip of the iceberg. Behind it are:

1. National Headquarters that set policies and collect dues.
2. Alumni Housing Corporations that own the property and carry insurance.
3. Educational Foundations that manage funds.
4. Interlocking Alumni Chapters.

Our investigative process begins with this data. We don’t start from scratch; we start with a map. We use it to send preservation letters, subpoena records, and identify all available insurance policies. In the Bermudez case, this meant naming not just the UH chapter, but the national Pi Kappa Phi, the Beta Nu housing corporation, and 13 individual officers.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

Pursuing a hazing case requires a methodical, evidence-first approach. It is a fight against institutions with deep pockets and experienced defense attorneys. Here is how we build cases for families from Reno and across Texas.

The Evidence Pyramid: What Wins Cases

1. Digital Evidence (Most Critical):
   • Group Chats: GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage screenshots showing planning, boasting, or coercion. We work with digital forensics experts to recover deleted messages.
   • Social Media: Instagram stories, Snapchat saves, TikTok videos, Facebook posts/photos from events.
   • Emails & Internal Documents: Chapter communications, pledge manuals, national risk management guides.
2. Medical Documentation: ER records, hospitalization reports, lab tests (like the critical creatine kinase levels showing rhabdomyolysis), psychological evaluations for PTSD, depression, anxiety.
3. University Records: Prior conduct violations for the same group, Clery Act reports, internal investigation files obtained through discovery or public records requests.
4. Witness Testimony: Other pledges, former members, roommates, RAs. Early, confidential interviews are key before stories are “aligned.”

We have a detailed video on using your cellphone to document legal evidence, a crucial skill for victims and families in the immediate aftermath.

Overcoming Institutional Defenses

We anticipate and dismantle the standard defenses:

• “The Pledge Consented”: Texas law §37.155 nullifies this. We demonstrate coercion through power imbalance and peer pressure evidence.
• “It Was a Rogue Chapter”: We subpoena national records to show pattern evidence—prior incidents at other chapters that put the national on notice.
• “It Happened Off-Campus”: Legal duty extends based on sponsorship, control, and foreseeability. The Pi Delta Psi conviction for a retreat death proves this defense fails.
• “We Have Anti-Hazing Policies”: We show the gap between paper policies and enforced reality—lax punishment for prior violations, ineffective training.

Damages: What Can Be Recovered

Civil lawsuits seek to make victims whole and hold defendants accountable. Recoverable damages include:

• Economic Damages: All past and future medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, therapy costs, educational delays.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, humiliation, PTSD, loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (for families): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and emotional suffering.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of gross negligence or intentional conduct, to punish the defendant and deter future behavior.

We work with life-care planners, economists, and medical experts to fully quantify the lifelong impact of catastrophic hazing injuries, like the permanent kidney damage risk faced by Leonel Bermudez.

Practical Guides & FAQs for Reno Parents and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs and Action Steps

Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, burns, or limping.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, drastic weight change.
• Secretive behavior, withdrawal from family and old friends.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Personality changes: new anxiety, depression, irritability.
• Sudden academic decline or dropping activities.

What to Do If You Suspect Hazing:

1. Talk Calmly: Ask open-ended questions. “I’m worried about you. Is there anything happening with your group that feels unsafe or wrong?”
2. Prioritize Medical Care: If injured, seek care immediately. Tell doctors about suspected hazing for the record.
3. Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot everything before it’s deleted. Take photos of injuries.
4. Contact an Attorney Before Reporting: We can guide you on how to report to the university or police in a way that protects your child and the evidence. Do not confront the organization directly.
5. Document Everything: Keep a journal of conversations, symptoms, and names.

For Students: Is This Hazing?

• Ask Yourself: Am I being pressured? Would I do this if I could say no without consequences? Is it dangerous or degrading? Would I hide it from my parents or the dean?
• If You Are in Immediate Danger: Call 911. Texas has good-faith reporter protections.
• How to Exit Safely: You have the right to quit. Send a clear text/email: “I resign my membership effective immediately.” Tell a trusted adult first. Do not go to a “final meeting.”

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case

We detail common errors in our video on client mistakes that can ruin your injury case. Key pitfalls include:

• Deleting messages or social media posts. This looks like a cover-up.
• Confronting the fraternity/sorority before consulting a lawyer, giving them a head start to destroy evidence and align stories.
• Signing university “resolution” agreements without an attorney reviewing them—you may waive your right to sue.
• Posting about the incident on public social media, creating evidence for defense attorneys to exploit.
• Waiting too long. Evidence vanishes, witnesses graduate, memories fade. Texas generally has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury, but the clock starts ticking immediately. Watch our video on Texas statutes of limitations for more detail.

Short FAQ

• Can we sue a public university in Texas? Yes, though sovereign immunity applies. Exceptions exist for gross negligence, Title IX violations, and when suing individuals. The threat of discovery and trial often leads to settlement, as seen in the BGSU ($3M) and LSU cases.
• What if our child “agreed” to it? As stated, consent is not a legal defense to hazing in Texas.
• How much does a hazing lawyer cost? We work on a contingency fee basis: no upfront costs, and we only get paid if we recover money for you. Learn more in our video how contingency fees work.
• Will my child’s name be public? Most cases settle confidentially. We aggressively protect our clients’ privacy throughout the process.

Why Attorney911 for Texas Hazing Cases

When your family faces the trauma of hazing, you need more than a general personal injury lawyer. You need attorneys with specific, proven expertise in taking on powerful institutions and a deep understanding of the unique ecosystem of collegiate hazing. From our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we serve families in Reno, Lamar County, and across all of Texas.

Our Unique Qualifications

• Insider Insurance Knowledge (Mr. Lupe Peña): Mr. Peña spent years as a defense attorney for national insurance companies. He knows precisely how fraternity and university insurers evaluate claims, fight coverage, and employ delay tactics. We know their playbook because we used to run it.
• Complex Institutional Litigation Experience (Ralph Manginello): Our firm was one of the few in Texas involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by billion-dollar defendants, national fraternities, or university legal teams. We have federal court experience and a track record of multi-million-dollar results in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise: Ralph Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand both sides of a hazing case. We can effectively advise victims, witnesses, and families navigating parallel criminal and civil proceedings.
• The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: We don’t investigate in the dark. We use our proprietary database of Texas Greek organizations—built from IRS filings, university records, and public data—to immediately identify all potentially liable entities and insurance policies.
• A Current, Active Texas Hazing Case: We are not theorizing. We are right now litigating the landmark Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi case. We are in the trenches, facing the same defenses and tactics that will be used against any Texas hazing victim.

Our Promise to Reno, Lamar County, and Texas Families

We approach each case with empathy for the profound trauma your family has endured and with a relentless commitment to uncovering the truth. Our goal is to secure maximum accountability and compensation for your child’s suffering, and to force the systemic changes necessary to protect future students.

Your Next Step: A Free, Confidential Consultation

If hazing has impacted your family—whether your child attends UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, Baylor, or any other Texas campus—you do not have to navigate this crisis alone.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) for a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. In this conversation, we will:

• Listen compassionately to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain the legal options and pathways specific to your situation.
• Discuss how we investigate and build hazing cases.
• Answer all your questions about the process, timelines, and costs.

We work on a contingency fee basis: there are no upfront costs, and you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.

Call us today at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). You can also reach us directly at (713) 528-9070 or via email at ralph@atty911.com. Se habla Español—contact Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com for consultation in Spanish.

Let us help you fight for answers, for accountability, and for the future your child deserves.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the Leonel Bermudez UH Pi Kappa Phi Case:

• https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/11/21/only-on-2-lawsuit-alleges-severe-hazing-at-university-of-houstons-pi-kappa-phi-chapter-fraternity/
• https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/
• https://hoodline.com/2025/11/university-of-houston-and-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity-face-10m-lawsuit-over-alleged-hazing-and-abuse/

Attorney911 Educational Videos:

• Evidence Preservation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Statute of Limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Client Mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• Contingency Fees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Attorney911 Main Website & Contact:

• https://attorney911.com

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is fact-specific. If you need legal assistance, please contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC directly for a consultation regarding your individual situation.