FILE - This March 17, 2016 photo shows a woman reading a sign informing people a building is closed on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus after an explosion in Honolulu. A postdoctoral fellow who lost her right arm in a University of Hawaii laboratory explosion is suing the school and the researchers she worked for. Thea Ekins-Coward and her wife filed the lawsuit in state court in Honolulu in Jan. 2017. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy, File) (The Associated Press)
HONOLULU – A postdoctoral fellow who lost her right arm in a University of Hawaii laboratory explosion is suing the school and the researchers she worked for.
Thea Ekins-Coward and her wife filed the lawsuit in state court in Honolulu this month. The complaint alleges the university and researchers Jian Yu and Richard Rocheleau failed to provide her with adequate safety training and adhere to safety codes.
It alleges the university and Yu told Ekins-Coward to use dangerous tanks unsuitable for use. It says the tanks weren't designed for flammable gases and weren't grounded to prevent static electrical discharge.
University spokesman Dan Meisenzahl says the school hasn't been served with the lawsuit. He had no further comment as the litigation is pending. Yu declined comment. Rocheleau referred questions to the university spokesman.
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