Hazing Lawsuit Alleges Pattern of Abuse and Humiliation Leading to Severe Personal Injury

A now 21-year-old former member of the Clemson University Women’s Soccer team has filed a hazing lawsuit against the school’s athletic department, alleging a pattern of verbal and emotional abuse led to a hazing ritual that caused her to need plastic surgery, as well as long-term neurological treatment for a traumatic brain injury.

Haley Ellen Hunt was only 18, and a freshman on Clemson’s soccer team, when she woke up in the middle of the night, was blind-folded and shoved into the trunk of a car, and taken to Riggs Field. There, her teammates and coaches spun her around and screamed at her until she was completely disoriented, while still blind-folded, and then she was ordered to sprint out of the area. She hit a brick wall in full sprint, which caused numerous lacerations to her hands and face, and a concussion that became a traumatic brain injury.

Reportedly, her fellow players wanted to call an ambulance, but the coaching staff replied, “if you care about your job and our [team], then you will not tell anyone about this.”

Hunt was unable to attend class or practice after the incident, and had to undergo plastic surgery for the damage to her face. She also suffers permanent cognitive abilities, and requires physical therapy and daily medication. Unfortunately, because of the pattern of emotional and verbal abuse perpetrated by the Clemson women’s soccer coach, she continued to play for 2 years and ignored her physical and mental disability, until her headaches became so painful that she sought help from a neurologist, who told her that her soccer career was over due to her traumatic brain injury.

Hazing has been a reported problem with Clemson’s soccer program since the 1990’s, and the administration continues to impose only the minimum punishment in the written code for the sports program.

Hunt’s hazing lawsuit was filed on August 15th, alleging that the personal injury occurred on August 18th, 2011. Her hazing lawsuit demands a jury trial, rather than a settlement, and seeks punitive damages, attorneys’ and court fees, and additional financial compensation to assist Hunt with her ongoing medical costs.

Personal Injury Lawsuits and Living with a Traumatic Brain Injury

Unfortunately for many brain injury patients, treatment does not end in the hospital.

Moderately to severely injured patients must undergo individually tailored rehabilitation, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physical medicine, and psychological or psychiatric treatment.

A traumatic brain injury (“TBI”) can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age. Very severe TBI can leave the patient in a coma or vegetative state, requiring years of nursing home care.

Even a mild TBI – classified as loss of consciousness or confusion/disorientation lasting less than 30 minutes – can have long-standing effects. MRI and CAT scans are a normal part of diagnosis and treatment. However, even with treatment, the patient may experience headaches, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention deficits, mood swings, and frustration, among other symptoms, for weeks or even months after the injury. Repeated mild TBI occurring over months or years can cause cumulative neurological and cognitive deficits. If repeated over a short period of time (hours, days or weeks), they can be catastrophic, even fatal.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury Cases, from Hazing Lawsuits to Defective Product Injuries

Although many of the people we represent in these cases are from right here in South Carolina, our lawyers routinely take clients from throughout the Southeastern U.S. and, in certain types of product liability or pharmaceutical cases, from across the country as well. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed through no fault of your own, contact the  South Carolina personal injury attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC today for a free consultation today. 803.252.4800