A woman who was severely injured last year during a pumpkin-launching competition sued the event's organizers, participants, state officials and Discovery Communications Inc. for negligence Monday.

In the federal lawsuit, Suzanne Dakessian said that safety lapses at the Punkin Chunkin contest contributed to the accident, which sent a large hunk of metal crashing down on her head. The incident, Dakessian said, left her with permanent injuries, including partial blindness and damage to her left arm. She also said she was in a coma for a time.

The defendants include the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which is responsible for issuing boiler certificates and inspecting pressure vessels on giant air guns at the competition in Bridgeville.

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