Cadet sues State Police over academy injury

CHARLESTON -- A husband and wife are suing the West Virginia State Police after an injury.

Travis V. Flint was a cadet in the 58th Cadet Class at the West Virginia State Police Academy and was involved in the program so he could obtain employment as a West Virginia State Trooper, according to a complaint filed Oct. 26 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

On Oct. 26, 2007, Flint injured his left leg while participating in physical training at the academy. Flint advised an officer the day of his injury and was taken to the academy nurse, who told him to keep his leg straight and there were no other restrictions, according to the suit.

Flint claims the pain in his leg progressed into sharp pain that became unbearable. He was transported to Thomas Memorial Hospital, where a doctor examined him and advised he had torn a hip muscle and informed him that he would need to follow-up with the State Police doctor.

On Nov. 1, 2007, Flint was ordered by the State Police to write his first letter describing his injury, and claims he was falsely accused by Sgt. Curtis Tilley of trying to evaluate himself and claiming he had a torn muscle on his letter to get out of training.

Flint claims that Tilley proclaimed he would not recommend him to follow up with the State Police doctor and threatened if a cadet ever had to help him again, then his leg "better be ripped off."

Flint was advised to get a second opinion by one of the State Troopers and visited Medbrook Medical Associates on Bridgeport on Nov. 3, 2007. Flint claims he was told his injury was in the ligaments of his leg and hip bone and recovery time would be approximately two weeks.

One week after returning to the police academy, Flint still was unable to walk without crutches and claims he was again accused of trying to evaluate himself. After an MRI at Braxton County Memorial Hospital, Flint was placed in a wheelchair and informed he had a fractured hip. He had surgery Nov. 27, 2007, to repair a linear fracture through the left femoral neck and had three screws inserted into his hip.

Flint and his wife, Julia D. Flint, are suing for compensatory damages for deliberate intent to cause injury, intentional infliction of emotional distress and failure to assist in acquiring treatment for injury. David Karickhoff and Bernard R. Mauser are representing them.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Charles E. King.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 09-C-1997