MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

A man who says he was stabbed by a bar patron with a 6.5-inch blade has filed suit against the bar where the incident occurred.

Anthony D. Sims claims he was visiting defendant Edward Perigan's bar, Perigan's Tavern, on Jan. 22 when he sustained severe injuries.

Sims claims he was sober and sitting at the bar when a fight broke out between two patrons on either side of him at about 5:30 p.m.

Sims attempted to move out of the way of the fight, but still failed to avoid injury.

"That while in the bar area, one of the bar patrons, without provocation by Plaintiff, took a knife with a 6 1/2-inch blade and stuck Plaintiff near the groin area moving the knife in an upward motion finally lodging in Plaintiff's stomach," the suit states. "The knife wound was deep resulting in a punctured and torn large intestine, punctured bladder, severed small intestines and internal bleeding."

After the attack, Sims notified the bartender at Perigan's of his injuries, but the bartender did nothing to help him. As a result, Sims was forced to walk half a block to his mother's house. From there, Sims' mother drove him to the emergency room at Gateway Medical Center, according to the complaint. Sims was transferred to the trauma unit at St. Louis University Hospital, where he remained for seven days following the attack, the suit states.

Because of the incident and his associated pain, Sims has been unable to return to his job as a laborer, the complaint says.

Sims alleges Edward Perigan incurred premises liability by failing to protect its patrons from harm, by failing to exercise reasonable care to avoid harm to its patrons from attacks of other people and by failing to provide Sims assistance.

In his three-count complaint, Sims is seeking a judgment of more than $150,000, plus costs.

Billie L. Johnson of Johnson and Anderson in Edwardsville will be representing him.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-634.