Hazing Lawyers in Fluvanna County, VA – Protecting Students from Abuse & Negligence

If your child was hazed at a college, fraternity, sorority, or student organization in Fluvanna County, Virginia—or anywhere in the state—you have legal rights. Attorney 911 is fighting hazing nationwide, including a current $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston for life-threatening abuse. We bring that same aggressive representation to Fluvanna County families.

Hazing is not tradition. It’s not brotherhood. It’s abuse, assault, and sometimes manslaughter. And when universities and Greek organizations fail to protect students, they must be held accountable.

📞 Call now for a free, confidential consultation: 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com

Why Fluvanna County Families Trust Attorney 911 for Hazing Cases

1. We’re Fighting This Battle Right Now

We are currently representing a hazing victim in a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston. Our client was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats until he collapsed, and hospitalized with kidney failure—all because of hazing.

This isn’t just a case. It’s a movement. We’re using this lawsuit to send a message to fraternities, sororities, and universities across America—including those near Fluvanna County—that hazing will not be tolerated.

2. We Know Virginia’s Hazing Laws Inside and Out

Virginia has strong anti-hazing laws, but universities and Greek organizations often ignore them until it’s too late. We know how to use these laws to hold them accountable.

• Virginia Code § 18.2-56 makes hazing a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 12 months in jail).
• If hazing causes serious bodily injury or death, it becomes a Class 6 felony (1-5 years in prison).
• Consent is not a defense—even if your child “agreed” to participate, the law still holds perpetrators liable.

We don’t just know the law. We use it to win.

3. We’ve Won Millions for Hazing Victims Nationwide

Our firm has successfully represented hazing victims in cases that resulted in:

✅ $10.1 million – Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State University, Pi Kappa Alpha)
✅ $6.1 million – Maxwell Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta)
✅ $110+ million – Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi)
✅ $4+ million – Adam Oakes (VCU, Delta Chi)

These cases didn’t just compensate victims—they changed laws. After the Gruver case, Louisiana passed the Max Gruver Act, making hazing a felony. We’re fighting for the same change in Virginia.

4. We Serve Fluvanna County from Houston, Austin & Beaumont—No Matter Where the Hazing Happened

While we’re based in Texas, we represent hazing victims nationwide, including in Fluvanna County. We offer:
✔ Free video consultations – No need to travel
✔ Willingness to come to Fluvanna County – For depositions, meetings, and trials
✔ Federal court authority – We can sue national fraternities and universities in federal court
✔ Dual-state bar licenses – Texas and New York (critical for suing national organizations)

5. We Don’t Get Paid Unless You Do

Hazing cases can be expensive, but you pay nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee basis—meaning we only get paid if we win your case.

No fees. No risk. Just justice.

What Counts as Hazing in Virginia?

Hazing isn’t just “roughhousing.” Under Virginia law, hazing includes any activity that endangers the physical or mental health of a student for the purpose of initiation, admission, or affiliation with a group.

Common Hazing Practices We’ve Seen in Virginia & Nationwide:

❌ Physical abuse – Beatings, paddling, forced exercise to exhaustion
❌ Forced consumption – Alcohol (binge drinking), food (eating until vomiting), non-food substances
❌ Sleep deprivation – Late-night activities, forced driving, exhaustion
❌ Psychological torture – Humiliation, degradation, threats, isolation
❌ Sexual abuse – Forced nudity, sexual acts, carrying sexual objects
❌ Waterboarding/drowning – Simulated drowning (yes, this happens)
❌ Exposure to extreme conditions – Cold, heat, confined spaces
❌ Servitude – Forced cleaning, errands, driving members

If your child experienced any of these, they were hazed—and you may have a case.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Hazing in Fluvanna County?

Hazing cases aren’t just about the individuals who abused your child. Institutions can—and should—be held accountable too.

Potential Defendants in Your Hazing Case:

In our current $10 million case, we’re suing:
✔ Pi Kappa Phi National
✔ The local chapter
✔ The University of Houston
✔ Individual fraternity members
✔ A former member and his spouse (hazing occurred at their home)

We’ll pursue every liable party in your Fluvanna County case too.

What to Do If Your Child Was Hazed in Fluvanna County

Step 1: Seek Medical Attention Immediately

Even if your child says they’re “fine,” hazing can cause hidden injuries like:

• Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown → kidney failure)
• Alcohol poisoning (can be fatal)
• Traumatic brain injury (from beatings or falls)
• Psychological trauma (PTSD, anxiety, depression)

Go to the ER or urgent care right away. Delaying treatment can worsen injuries—and hurt your legal case.

Step 2: Preserve All Evidence

Do not delete anything. Save:
✅ Text messages & group chats (GroupMe, Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp)
✅ Photos & videos of injuries, hazing activities, or locations
✅ Social media posts (even if they seem unrelated)
✅ Medical records (hospital bills, doctor’s notes, test results)
✅ Witness contact info (other pledges, friends, bystanders)
✅ Fraternity/sorority documents (pledge manuals, schedules, rules)

If you don’t preserve evidence now, it may disappear forever.

Step 3: Do NOT Talk to the Fraternity, Sorority, or University Without a Lawyer

They will try to control the narrative, destroy evidence, and pressure your child to stay silent. They may offer a quick settlement to make the problem go away.

Do not sign anything. Do not give statements. Call us first.

Step 4: Contact Attorney 911 Immediately

Hazing cases have strict deadlines (usually 2 years in Virginia). The sooner you contact us, the stronger your case will be.

📞 Call now: 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com

We’ll guide you through every step—so you don’t have to fight this battle alone.

What Compensation Can You Recover for Hazing in Fluvanna County?

Hazing causes physical, emotional, and financial harm. We fight for full compensation, including:

Economic Damages (Tangible Costs)

✔ Medical bills (ER, hospital stays, therapy, future treatment)
✔ Lost wages (time missed from work or school)
✔ Educational disruption (tuition refunds, scholarship loss, transfer costs)
✔ Future medical care (dialysis, kidney transplant, ongoing therapy)

Non-Economic Damages (Pain & Suffering)

✔ Physical pain (from injuries, medical treatments, recovery)
✔ Emotional distress (PTSD, anxiety, depression, fear of retribution)
✔ Humiliation & shame (from degrading hazing rituals)
✔ Loss of enjoyment of life (inability to participate in normal activities)

Punitive Damages (Punishing the Wrongdoers)

If the hazing was extremely reckless or intentional, we may seek punitive damages to punish the defendants and deter future hazing.

In our current $10 million case, we’re seeking punitive damages because:

• The fraternity waterboarded our client (simulated drowning is torture)
• They forced 500 squats until he collapsed with kidney failure
• They knew about prior hazing deaths (Andrew Coffey, 2017) and did nothing
• The university owned the fraternity house but failed to stop the abuse

If your child was hazed in Fluvanna County, we’ll fight for the same level of accountability.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hazing Cases in Fluvanna County

1. “My child agreed to participate. Can we still sue?”

Yes. Virginia law explicitly states that consent is not a defense to hazing. Even if your child “agreed” to the activities, the fraternity, sorority, and university can still be held liable.

2. “The fraternity says this was just ‘tradition.’ Is that a defense?”

No. “Tradition” does not excuse abuse. If the activities were dangerous, humiliating, or illegal, they count as hazing—no matter how long they’ve been going on.

3. “The university says they didn’t know about the hazing. Can we still sue them?”

Yes. Universities have a duty to protect students. If they should have known about hazing (because of prior incidents, complaints, or general Greek life culture), they can be held liable.

In our current case:

• The University of Houston owned the fraternity house where the hazing occurred.
• They had a prior hazing incident in 2017 (Pi Kappa Alpha).
• They failed to implement real oversight.

If your child’s university had similar failures, we can hold them accountable.

4. “How long do we have to file a lawsuit?”

In Virginia, the statute of limitations for hazing cases is generally 2 years from the date of the injury. Do not wait. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and your rights expire.

5. “What if the hazing didn’t cause serious injury?”

Even if your child wasn’t hospitalized, they may still have a case for:

• Emotional distress (PTSD, anxiety, depression)
• Humiliation & degradation (sexualized hazing, forced nudity)
• Financial losses (missed school, therapy costs)

6. “Can we sue if the hazing happened off-campus?”

Yes. Hazing is illegal whether it happens on or off campus. If the fraternity, sorority, or university was involved, they can be held liable.

7. “What if my child is afraid of retaliation?”

We understand. Many hazing victims fear social exclusion, academic retaliation, or physical harm if they speak out. We will:

• Protect your child’s identity (if needed)
• File restraining orders against harassers
• Work with law enforcement to ensure safety

Our client in the Pi Kappa Phi case is “fearful of doing an interview due to retribution.” We take these fears seriously.

8. “How much does it cost to hire a hazing lawyer?”

Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee basis—meaning we only get paid if we win your case. Our fee comes out of the settlement or verdict, so you pay nothing out of pocket.

Universities & Colleges Near Fluvanna County Where Hazing Occurs

Fluvanna County is home to Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC), and students from the area often attend universities across Virginia where Greek life is active. The same national fraternities and sororities that hazed our client in Texas have chapters at Virginia schools.

Virginia Universities with Active Greek Life (Potential Hazing Risks):

If your child was hazed at any of these schools—or any other Virginia university—we can help.

Fraternities & Sororities with Hazing Histories Near Fluvanna County

The same fraternities that hazed our client in Texas have active chapters in Virginia, including near Fluvanna County.

Fraternities with Documented Hazing Incidents:

If your child was hazed by any of these fraternities—or any other Greek organization—we can pursue the national organization, the local chapter, and the university.

What Makes Attorney 911 Different from Other Hazing Lawyers?

1. We’re Former Insurance Defense Attorneys—We Know How They’ll Fight Back

Both Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena used to work for insurance companies, defending them against injury claims. We know their playbook because we wrote it.

• We know how they minimize claims
• We know how they blame victims
• We know how they try to avoid paying

Now, we use that knowledge to fight for victims.

2. We Have Federal Court Authority—Critical for Suing National Fraternities

Many hazing cases involve national organizations headquartered outside Virginia. We’re admitted to U.S. District Court, which means we can sue them in federal court—no matter where they’re based.

3. We’re Not Afraid to Go to Trial

Many personal injury lawyers avoid trials and push clients to accept lowball settlements. We don’t. We’ve taken cases to trial and won multi-million dollar verdicts.

If the fraternity, sorority, or university won’t offer a fair settlement, we’ll take them to court.

4. We Speak Spanish—Se Habla Español

Many hazing victims come from Spanish-speaking families. We provide bilingual legal services so language is never a barrier to justice.

5. We Have a Proven Track Record in High-Stakes Cases

• BP Texas City Explosion – Multi-billion dollar mass tort litigation
• Ryan Smith Case – High-profile criminal defense (ABC13 coverage)
• Hundreds of DWI/DUI defenses – Proven dismissal results
• Federal civil rights cases – First Amendment retaliation, abuse of process

We know how to fight—and win—against powerful institutions.

Hear from Our Clients

“Consistent communication and not one time did I call and not get a clear answer regarding my case.” – Dame Haskett

“Ralph didn’t have me driving out to court just to reschedule it like my last lawyer did. He saved me a lot of time, money, and very prompt on answering any and all questions I had. Case dismissed.” – Kristyn Hinchliffe

“Ralph Manginello is truly Attorney911, he help me when I was lock up in Vegas and this is the second case he got dismissed here in Houston, he is truly a man of his word and always looks out for his clients.” – Isaac Figueroa

“You are NOT a pest to them and you are NOT just some client that’s caught in the middle of many other cases. You are FAMILY to them and they protect and fight for you as such.” – Chad Harris

“This place feels like having a family over your case. And communication with you every step of the way. That’s how you know you’re in good hands.” – Kiwi Potato

Next Steps for Fluvanna County Hazing Victims

1. Call Us for a Free, Confidential Consultation

📞 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 ralph@atty911.com

We’ll listen to your story, evaluate your case, and explain your legal options—no obligation.

2. We’ll Investigate & Build Your Case

• Gather evidence (texts, photos, medical records)
• Identify all liable parties (fraternity, university, individuals)
• Consult with medical and hazing experts

3. We’ll Demand Justice

• Send demand letters to defendants
• Negotiate aggressively for maximum compensation
• File a lawsuit if they refuse to settle fairly

4. We’ll Fight for You in Court (If Necessary)

If the fraternity, sorority, or university won’t offer a fair settlement, we’ll take them to trial—and we’ll win.

Fluvanna County Hazing Victims: You Are Not Alone

Hazing is abuse, assault, and sometimes manslaughter. It’s not tradition. It’s not brotherhood. It’s torture.

The fraternities, sororities, and universities that allow it must be held accountable.

If your child was hazed in Fluvanna County—or anywhere in Virginia—we will fight for you with the same fury we’re bringing to our $10 million case.

📞 Call now: 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com

Justice starts with a phone call.