PITTSBURGH - On July 10, a child who said he was “knocked to the ground” by a negligent camp counselor when he was nine sued the church hosting the camp for negligence in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.
Juan Sanchez-Gilbert in July sued Lighthouse Cathedral Inc., through his parents, Bernardo Sanchez and Michelle Gilbert.
In 2018, the boy went to Lighthouse’s summer camp in Pittsburgh. On July 6, 2018, a camp counselor “negligently knocked minor Plaintiff to the ground hard onto his left knee, causing him serious injury,” according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs sued for negligence, stating Lighthouse failed to train its workers on how to handle children and failed to stay attentive to children and warn children or their parents of a potentially dangerous condition.
They also alleged Lighthouse didn’t properly execute methods to steer clear of accidents such as the one in this case, didn’t have enough staff to keep an eye on the children and failed to let the parents know the child suffered an injury after the incident happened.
As a result of the accident, Sanchez-Gilbert allegedly suffered a torn ACL and a left tibia fracture and had to undergo surgery on his left knee. He said he has suffered consistent pain in his left knee since the accident. His parents said he suffers mental anxiety and embarrassment and hasn’t been able to enjoy his life because of the incident.
The parents also said they’ve been impacted by being deprived of experiencing a full life with their son and paying medical bills.