Benedictine University, located in Neptune, New Jersey, is one of the more prominent private universities in the country. In recent years, the suit was brought by a former student who claimed that he was severely mistreated by the college and that the amount of abuse was severe enough to cause mental and physical trauma. The case has become something of an issue due to the publicity surrounding the matter.
This particular case has become particularly controversial because the settlement offer from the school was far below what was expected.
To put it mildly, the offer was not close to the settlement that the plaintiff’s attorney was hoping for. The amount of the settlement was in excess of six figures and the courts have approved the offer. While this may appear as a huge victory for the plaintiff, this kind of situation is anything but uncommon. Settlement cases are far from rare, though, and have actually accounted for more than half of all cases filed in recent years.
Why are these types of lawsuits common?
There are two primary reasons why the percentage of settlements that result in lawsuits is so high. The first comes directly from the way that most schools handle their athletes. Most colleges allow athletes to enter the athletic recruiting process freely. They do not have to submit to the same background checks that they would have to submit to the university. As such, if an athlete has a past disciplinary history that goes back for several years, it can greatly affect the ability of an athlete to be accepted into the university.
Another reason why this happens so frequently is that there are many athletes at many schools that are talented.
A good example of this is how very talented basketball players are often overlooked by top college programs. Coaches often view these players as “big boys” and do not put much effort into developing a game plan to develop their skills. This lack of focus makes it much more likely for athletes to fall through the cracks and file frivolous lawsuits against their schools. One famous case is that of Florida State University star athlete sprains. The school was eventually forced to pay out over $1 million to a former player who claimed that he suffered a chronic injury after participating in a game where he fell backwards.
How can you tell if you may have a case like this?
Benedictine University has a fairly simple process for filing these types of lawsuits. All you need to do is contact them and ask about filing a claim. Keep in mind that these lawsuits are incredibly time consuming and may not be successful. Only about ten percent of the people who file these claims ever receive any money.
If you want to make sure that you get your settlement, it is important that you do everything you can to improve your chances of winning the case.
The more information you have about the case, the better off you will be. If you think that you have a solid case, consult with a qualified attorney. They can help you gather the needed evidence and prepare the necessary paperwork.
