New information in a wrongful death case involving a 19-year-old Clemson fraternity pledge could help determine how he died. The anonymous witness said that the Sigma Phi Epsilon hopeful was forced to walk on a bridge just before his death in September 2014. Georgia residents may have heard that an autopsy revealed that the teen died of blunt force trauma as a result of falling off the bridge and into a lake.
He was required to walk along the bridge after he did not bring McDonald’s biscuits to a grueling run that took place at 5:30 a.m. the day of his death. The man’s parents are suing Clemson University as well as the fraternity and three members of the fraternity personally. According to the lawsuits, the school was planning to suspend the fraternity 12 hours later. The lawsuit also alleges that the boys involved in the run did not report the fact that their son had fallen into the lake until 1:15 p.m.
According to the lawsuit, a fraternity member texted the victim’s girlfriend to say that he was all right in an effort to buy time. Although the parent’s lawsuit has stalled, the fraternity has been suspended until 2019 for conduct issues including sexual harassment and hazing.
The surviving family members of a person who died in a fatal accident caused by the negligent acts or omissions of another may want to speak with an attorney about the advisability of filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible party. Damages that are often sought in these types of civil actions typically include funeral and burial expenses and other amounts that may be permitted by statute.