Autauga County Hazing Victim Attorneys | Nationwide Hazing Litigation

Serving Prattville, Autaugaville, Billingsley, and families throughout Autauga County, Alabama.

When you sent your child off to college—whether to Auburn, the University of Alabama, Troy, or elsewhere—you expected them to find a community, not a hospital bed. You expected brotherhood or sisterhood, not torture.

In Autauga County, we value tradition and community. But when “tradition” turns into physical abuse, forced alcohol consumption, and life-threatening medical emergencies, the line has been crossed. At Attorney 911, we are dedicated to fighting the national crisis of fraternity and sorority hazing. We are currently litigating high-profile hazing cases, and we are ready to bring that same aggressive representation to families in Autauga County.

If your child was injured or killed by hazing, you are facing a legal emergency. We are here to stop it.

📞 Call 24/7: 1-888-ATTY-911

We travel to Autauga County for our clients. Distance is not a barrier to justice.

🚨 Breaking: We Are Fighting the Hazing Crisis RIGHT NOW

We do not just talk about stopping hazing; we are actively litigating against it in the courts. We want Autauga County families to see exactly what we are finding in modern fraternities so you understand the risks your college-aged children face.

The Anchor Case: Bermudez v. Pi Kappa Phi (2025)

Current Litigation Status: Active $10 Million Lawsuit

We are currently representing Leonel Bermudez in a landmark $10 million lawsuit against the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and the University of Houston. This case, filed in November 2025, exposes the brutal reality of modern hazing.

Our client was a “ghost rush”—a prospective member who hadn’t even enrolled in classes yet. He was seeking brotherhood. Instead, he was subjected to weeks of systematic torture that included:

• Simulated Drowning (Waterboarding): Being sprayed in the face with a high-pressure hose while performing calisthenics.
• Extreme Physical Punishment: Forced to perform hundreds of pushups and squats until his body physically collapsed.
• Forced Consumption: Being forced to eat food until vomiting, then forced to continue exercising.
• Physical Assault: Being struck with wooden paddles.

The Result: Our client was hospitalized for four days with severe rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. His muscles were breaking down and poisoning his own blood.

Why This Matters to Autauga County Parents:
The fraternity we are suing, Pi Kappa Phi, has active chapters at major universities popular with Autauga County graduates, including Auburn University and the University of Alabama. The institutional negligence we uncovered in Houston exists at universities across the South. If the national organizations allowed this to happen in one chapter, they have failed to protect students in others.

🏢 Who We Are: The Legal Emergency Lawyers™

We are Attorney 911, a litigation firm headquartered in Texas but equipped with federal court authority to serve hazing victims nationwide, including families in Autauga County.

Our Unfair Advantage: We Know Their Playbook

Both of our lead attorneys, Ralph Manginello and Lupe Eleno Peña, are former insurance defense attorneys.

• Ralph Manginello spent years defending insurance companies. He knows exactly how they try to deny claims, minimize injuries, and blame the victim.
• Lupe Eleno Peña worked for a national insurance defense firm, handling complex litigation for corporate defendants.

We have spent decades inside the “war rooms” of the insurance giants. We know how they value claims, how they hide assets, and how they try to wear families down. Now, we use that insider knowledge to fight for victims.

Serving Autauga County from a Position of Strength

While we do not maintain a physical office in Prattville, we provide nationwide representation for hazing victims.

• We Travel to You: For depositions, trials, and critical meetings, we come to Autauga County or the location of the incident.
• Federal Authority: We are admitted to the U.S. District Court and handle cases involving parties across state lines.
• Technology: We offer immediate video consultations for Autauga County families so you can get expert legal advice without leaving your home.

🕵️ The Hazing Watchdog: Our Intelligence System

We do not guess who might be liable for your child’s injuries. We track the corporate structures of Greek organizations across the nation. When a hazing incident occurs involving an Autauga County student, we look beyond the “broke college kids” and identify the deepest pockets responsible for the abuse.

What We Track

National fraternities are not just social clubs; they are massive corporations with insurance policies, real estate holdings, and intricate legal structures.

The Warning for Fraternities Recruiting Autauga County Students:
Whether it is a chapter at Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Troy, or anywhere else, if you haze a student from Autauga County, we will find every liable entity attached to your letters. We know about your insurance towers. We know about your risk management failures. We proved it in the Bermudez case, and we will prove it for our Alabama clients.

⚠️ What Autauga County Parents Must Know About Hazing

Hazing is often dismissed as “boys being boys” or “tradition.” This is a lie used to protect abusers. Hazing is assault. Hazing is battery. Hazing is torture.

The Medical Danger: Rhabdomyolysis

In our current $10 million lawsuit, our client suffered from Rhabdomyolysis. This is a critical medical condition where muscle tissue breaks down due to extreme physical trauma or exertion. The damaged muscle releases a protein called myoglobin into the blood, which can clog the kidneys and lead to acute kidney failure.

Warning Signs for Parents:
If your child comes home to Autauga County on break, or calls you from campus complaining of:

• Extreme muscle soreness and weakness.
• Inability to lift arms or walk properly.
• Dark or brown urine (often described as tea-colored).
• Abdominal pain or nausea.

This is a medical emergency. Seek treatment immediately.

Psychological Trauma

Hazing is designed to break the spirit. Beyond physical scars, victims often suffer from:

• PTSD and severe anxiety.
• Depression and suicidal ideation.
• Academic decline and loss of scholarships.
• Trust issues and social withdrawal.

💰 We create Accountability: Precedent Cases

We build our strategies on the successes of landmark hazing litigation. These cases prove that families can win against massive institutions.

• Stone Foltz (2021): $10.1 Million. Following the tragic death of a student at Bowling Green State University due to alcohol hazing involving Pi Kappa Alpha.
• Maxwell Gruver (2017): $6.1 Million Verdict. A Louisiana jury awarded millions after a student died from forced alcohol consumption at LSU (Phi Delta Theta).
• Timothy Piazza (2017): $100+ Million (Est.). A historic settlement involving Penn State and Beta Theta Pi after a fatal fall resulting from a hazing ritual.

The Lesson for Autauga County Families: The precedent exists. When we can prove that universities and national fraternities ignored the dangers, juries and courts are willing to award substantial damages to punish this conduct.

📋 Victim Guidance: What to Do If Your Child Was Hazed

If you are in Autauga County and suspect your child has been a victim of hazing, or if you receive that dreaded phone call from a hospital, take these steps immediately.

1. Secure Medical Attention

Do not let anyone minimize the injuries. If there is physical trauma, forced alcohol consumption, or signs of rhabdomyolysis, get them to an ER immediately.

2. Preserve All Evidence

This is the most critical step for your legal case.

• Do NOT delete text messages, GroupMe chats, Snapchats, or Instagram DMs.
• Take photos of all physical injuries immediately, and continue to take photos as they heal or change.
• Save financial records related to fraternity dues, medical bills, or travel costs.

3. Silence on Social Media

Do not post about the incident on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Do not allow your child to post about it. Defense attorneys will scour your social media for any evidence they can use to claim the victim was “participating willingly” or “faking injuries.”

4. Do Not Sign Anything

The fraternity or university risk management team may approach your child with “statements” or “waivers.” Do not sign them. Do not give a recorded statement to insurance adjusters without an attorney present.

5. Call Attorney 911 Immediately

We offer free, confidential consultations for Autauga County families. We can advise you on your rights before the university or fraternity has a chance to cover up the incident.

⚖️ Your Legal Rights as an Alabama Hazing Victim

While criminal charges may be filed by local prosecutors under Alabama code (Ala. Code § 16-1-23), the criminal system focuses on punishment, not compensation for the victim. Civil litigation is how your family secures justice and financial recovery.

We pursue claims for:

• Past and Future Medical Expenses: Covering everything from ER visits to long-term dialysis or therapy.
• Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical agony and mental trauma endured.
• Lost Earning Capacity: If the injuries or academic disruption impact your child’s future career.
• Punitive Damages: Money awarded specifically to punish the fraternity and university for gross negligence and to deter future hazing.

Consent is No Defense:
Fraternities often argue that the pledge “agreed” to the process. In the eyes of the law, a student cannot consent to be assaulted or tortured. The power dynamic and coercion involved in pledging negate “consent.”

📞 Contact Us: Protecting Autauga County Students

We are ready to stand between your family and the institutions that harmed your child. We aggressively pursue the national fraternities, the housing corporations, and the universities that turn a blind eye to abuse.

We work on a CONTINGENCY FEE basis. This means our Autauga County clients pay $0 upfront. We cover all costs of litigation, investigation, and travel. You do not pay us a dime unless we win your case.

For a Free, Confidential Consultation:

📞 Call: 1-888-ATTY-911

📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com

Attorney 911 – Legal Emergency Lawyers™
Serving Autauga County and families nationwide.

Principal Office: Houston, TX. Representation available in Alabama and nationwide for federal hazing matters.