Berachah Baptist Church faces premises liability lawsuit

A Philadelphia church has been slapped with a premises liability lawsuit by a city man who claims he was injured when he fell outside of the building.

Attorney David B. Sherman, of the Solomon, Sherman & Gabay law firm, filed the suit May 16 at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on behalf of Anthony Bowman, who alleges in the complaint that he was injured after falling in July 2009 on a defective sidewalk owned by Berachah Baptist Church, which is located at 1970 Chelten Ave.

The fall on the cracked and uneven sidewalk caused Bowman to suffer injuries to his neck, back, elbow, knee and surrounding body parts, the suit states.

As a result of the incident, the plaintiff has incurred medical expenses, has experienced a loss of earnings and is expected to have ongoing pain and suffering, the suit says.

The lawsuit blames the defendant for failing to inspect and maintain the sidewalk.

Also named as defendants are Guiding Star Ministries, Inc., the nonprofit group that operates the church, and the City of Philadelphia, which has joint responsibility over the sidewalk.

Through the lawsuit, the plaintiff seeks damages jointly and severally in a sum not in excess of $50,000.

The non-jury matter has been scheduled for an arbitration hearing Jan. 18, 2012.

The case number is 110501688.