SAN DIEGO - The family of a San Diego State University (SDSU) student, who died after falling from his dorm room bunk bed, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university, a fraternity, and Foliot Furniture - the bunk bed's manufacturer.

 

19-year-old Dylan Hernandez died November 2019 after attendind a pledge party at the school's Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Hernandez became sick after heavy drinking and was carried back to his dorm room by friends and other fraternity members. At some point in the night, Hernandez fell off the top bunk, cracking open his head on the way down. He spent the next day on life support and died a day later.

 

The family is suing SDSU, claiming the school knew about the fraternity's hazing and underage drinking but failed to act. 

 

They also allege the school cut corners while recently renovating dorm rooms. They say the school purchased unsafe bunk beds from Foliot Furniture.

 

“Foliot Furniture had knowledge of bunk bed safety issues over the last two decades, and knew the bunk beds it sold to be used by students and the general public were dangerous, defective, and lacked required warnings and instructions," reads the Nov. 25 lawsuit.

 

The family alleges the beds featured defective safety rails.

 

Foliot has not yet responded to the suit.

 

Based in Quebec, Foliot Furniture is one of Canada's largest furniture makers and comes in at #139 on the FDMC 300 list of the largest North American wood companies. The company had an estimated $50 million in sales in 2017.

 

The family is also suing eight fraternity members, alleging they encouraged underage drinking and advised other members to withhold information about the night from authorities after Hernandez was hospitalized.

 

See the full story: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2020-12-02/sa…;