UC Berkeley alumna Bandna Bhatti is suing Phi Kappa Tau, the UC Board of Regents and the city of Berkeley after she fell from the fraternity’s balcony on Cal Day 2025 and is now paralyzed from the hip down.
Her lawsuit, filed Dec. 15, requests compensation for past and future medical expenses; loss of earnings and earning capacity; and pain, suffering and emotional distress.
Bhatti was a senior preparing to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in data science when she attended a Cal Day event at Phi Kappa Tau on April 19, 2025. According to the lawsuit, the fraternity house was allegedly “grossly overcrowded” and the fire escape and balcony were being misused as a gathering area.
The lawsuit states Bhatti fell “approximately 14 feet” from the balcony onto concrete below. She suffered fractures in her spine, skull, ribs and shoulder blade, according to the lawsuit and the recovery fund started by her sister, Sonya Bhatti.
Bhatti is represented by Oakland-based personal injury attorneys Matthew and Michael Haley. Haley declined to comment on the lawsuit out of respect for Bhatti’s family wishes.
According to Bhatti’s attorneys in the text of the case, Phi Kappa Tau brothers allegedly aggravated Bhatti’s injuries by taking her inside without spinal precautions instead of immediately calling 911.
The lawsuit alleged that members of the fraternity did not tell Bhatti’s friends about her traumatic fall and “mischaracterized (Bhatti) as ‘too drunk,’” adding that she should be taken out of the fraternity house “so the Chapter would not get in trouble.”
Matthew and Michael Haley allege in the case that Bhatti’s treatment by fraternity brothers increased the chances she would suffer a permanent, severe neurological and physical disability.
“Our legal team is currently reviewing the allegations,” said Phi Kappa Tau Director of Marketing & Communications, Matt DeWolf.
The lawsuit added that Phi Kappa Tau has been aware that its fire escape and balcony lacked proper guardrails and were unsafe under city standards since 2016. The fraternity and its property managers and officers hired a painting company to certify the fire escape and balcony’s safety compliance without fixing its defects, according to the lawsuit.
According to the case, Bhatti is suing the city of Berkeley for allegedly failing to ensure that Phi Kappa Tau met mandatory requirements for five-year inspections of its fire escape and balcony.
Bhatti is suing the UC regents for continuing to recognize Phi Kappa Tau as a campus fraternity and for allowing Phi Kappa Tau to host Cal Day events without telling attendees that the fire escape and balcony did not meet safety standards, as per the lawsuit.
Bhatti shared on Instagram that she spent four and a half weeks in the hospital following her accident, where she celebrated her birthday and watched her graduation. She has since undergone rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago and QLI in Omaha, Nebraska, and is able to play tennis and drive from her wheelchair.
“Every milestone, no matter how small, has reminded me that progress isn’t always linear, but it’s always worth it,” Bhatti wrote on LinkedIn.