Of all first responders, police officers face the highest exposure to hazardous situations and a heightened risk of injury compared to other public servants. But, in the case of state troopers Abraham A. Bean and Cadin D. Spessert, it was the lack of safety oversight and administrative negligence by the West Virginia State Police Department that led to serious injury to these officers.
It was in December 2023 when the two troopers encountered an armed suspect during an attempt to serve an arrest warrant in Martinsburg, VA. Unfortunately, during the conflict, the officer’s firearm malfunctioned, resulting in two troopers being wounded. A later inquiry and investigation discovered the resulting incident was due to incompatible state-issued firearm ammunition that resulted in one officer facing catastrophic injury.
Attorney George Sidiropolis launched The Injury Rights Law Firm in 2023 to represent plaintiffs like Bean and Spessert to fight corporate and institutional bad-faith litigation, particularly in cases resulting in serious injury or wrongful death. He is a staunch advocate for public servants and private citizens who face serious injury due to systemic negligence and/or civil rights violations that result in personal injury or property damage.
A Case of Administrative Negligence
As a former Municipal Court judge, Sidiropolis has witnessed firsthand the need for fairness and efficiency when confronting injustice from corporate or government entities. He won an $82 million, landmark case in Jefferson, Ohio, for an amputation victim who survived a commercial truck crash. He knows the reality is that injured public servants, like Bean and Spessert, face many uphill challenges as insurance companies and other stakeholders prioritize profit, minimize legitimate medical and monetary payouts, and use unethical deny, delay, and defend tactics.
In this case, George Sidiropolis is challenging the West Virginia State Police to acknowledge that it issued ammunition that was incompatible with the standard 9mm firearm required by the state police. The lawsuit focuses on significant workplace safety failures, including prior knowledge by the West Virginia State Police that the incompatible ammunition remained in circulation despite a known risk of serious injury or death.
A History of Operational Deficiencies
Incidents like this rarely happen in a vacuum. The Injury Rights Law Firm, PLLC, in conjunction with Laird Law, PLLC, point to a 2020 legislative audit (an independent review of state government agencies, programs, and/or finances) that identified several areas of concern within the WV State Police. These include deficiencies such as a lack of oversight and/or a lack of adherence to internal policies.
The audit clearly warned of known danger to officers in the areas of ammunition handling, storage, and inventory practices. These findings cited the department’s transition to 9mm duty firearms, while also retaining obsolete and incompatible ammunition calibers.
Even though State Police oversight executives issued internal directives to remove all incompatible ammunition and set forth improved controls and verification procedures, in the case of Trooper Bean, his serious injuries were a direct result of those directives not being fully implemented or verified. The incompatible ammunition remained in circulation despite the police department knowing the risks as identified by the oversight audit and within internal communications.
Advocating for the Rights of Public Servants
Attorney George Sidiropolis is shining a spotlight on critical deficiencies within the WV State Police departments, a move that may save more lives or spare families additional heartbreak in the future. His goal is to prove that failure of the department’s administrative entities to act, when warned about incompatible ammunition rounds that could still be present in inventory, is a clear failure to protect officers in the field. It also signifies a greater issue of accountability when internal operating risks are not corrected, and the great price that can be paid by civil servants and the public at large.
As an advocate for the rights of public servants and as counsel on the case of Abraham A. Bean et al. v. West Virginia State Police, Sidiropolis is asserting the state’s “deliberate intent” statute and loss-of-consortium claims to bring justice to direct victims and family members indirectly affected by their loved one’s injuries. The matter is pending the defendant’s response and waiting for pretrial litigation scheduling from the court system.
