BJ’s Wholesale Club faces slip-and-fall lawsuit

A city couple is suing the BJ’s Wholesale Club in Northeast Philadelphia for injuries the husband sustained after slipping and falling on a wet floor at the business.

Attorney Jeffrey M. Rosenbaum, of the Philadelphia firm Rosenbaum & Associates, P.C., filed the premises liability lawsuit June 21 at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on behalf of Keith and Rupa Ragbirsingh.

The defendants named in the suit are the BJ’s Wholesale Club at 2054 Red Lion Road, American Heritage Federal Credit Union and Mike Visco, who’s listed as an employee of the business.

According to the civil lawsuit, the couple was shopping at the BJ’s store on Sept. 20, 2009 at 8:50 p.m. when Keith Ragbirsingh slipped on a wet floor and fell to the ground, suffering various physical injuries.

The husband plaintiff sustained injuries to his neck, back, right latissmus, rhomboid, trapezius, ribs, arm, shoulder and a shock to his nervous system. He may have also sustained an aggravation of pre-existing conditions, the suit states.

The injuries have caused Keith Ragbirsingh to experience a loss of earning capacity, and have caused him to expend various sums of money on medical care and treatment, the suit states.

The lawsuit accuses the defendants of carelessness and negligence in failing to maintain safe premises and for failing to warn customers of a dangerous, negligent and/or defective condition.

The wife, Rupa Ragbirsingh, has her own count in the lawsuit in which she states she has been deprived the companionship of her husband due to the accident, and saying she, too, has spent various sums of money on her husband’s medical treatment.

Both husband and wife are seeking damages against the defendants jointly and severally in a sum in excess of the arbitration limits, or $50,000.

The non-jury trial awaits an arbitration hearing date.

The case number is 110601894.