WORCESTER, Mass. — A student at a Massachusetts college is suing a liquor manufacturer after suffering “catastrophic” burns in an explosion at a party at a Worcester Polytechnic Institute fraternity house in May.
Yvette Digan, a 22-year-old Boston University exchange student from Hong Kong, claims she suffered burns, permanent disfigurements, and other injuries due to the explosion, which her attorneys blame on a bottle of 190-proof Everclear grain vodka, according to a lawsuit.
“I was invited to Zeta Psi to socialize and meet people because I was new in the area,” Digan recalled in court documents obtained by Boston 25 News. “We were minding our own business and having a conversation when the unthinkable happened.”
Digan’s attorneys allege that Everclear removed warnings from its bottles, stating it was safe near open flames and stoves.
Surveillance video shows multiple people sitting around a fire before an explosive fireball erupts, highlighting the dangerous circumstances leading up to the incident.
“Out of nowhere, I was set on fire and screaming. Multiple boys tackled me to take the fire out, and then they called the ambulance,” Digan explained in the documents. “It all became blurry, and I felt like I couldn’t feel my body or speak.”
The attorneys argue that the 95 percent ethanol in Everclear creates explosive vapors even at room temperature, posing significant risks.
The lawsuit raises concerns about the safety of high-proof alcohol products and the importance of adequate warning labels to prevent similar incidents.
Read the full lawsuit below (Warning: graphic images):
WPI Woman Bruned Everclear Complaint by Boston 25 Desk on Scribd
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