Friday, 31 July 2026 12:10 PM
Company Update
David P. Thiruselvam and Keith Thomas West secure $30 million award against Polymer80, Inc. on behalf of 14 year old shooting victim's family in Philadelphia civil court.
CALIFORNIA, PA / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / The Victims' Recovery Law Center, a civil litigation firm based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, has obtained a $30 million award from a Philadelphia judge against Polymer80, Inc., a manufacturer of ghost gun components, on behalf of the family of a 14 year old shooting victim. The result was achieved through the combined efforts of firm founder David P. Thiruselvam and associate attorney Keith Thomas West, who handled the bulk of the firm's ghost gun litigation on behalf of shooting victims and families injured or killed by ghost guns across Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City.
Keith Thomas West and the Ghost Gun Litigation Practice
Keith Thomas West has worked at The Victims' Recovery Law Center since 2017, focusing exclusively on behalf of the wrongfully injured. Mr. West is the lead attorney on the firm's ghost gun litigation practice and handled the substantial majority of the civil claims filed against Polymer80, Inc. on behalf of shooting victims and their families in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania.
Mr. West is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey. He previously served as Judicial Fellow for the Honorable Mark I. Bernstein of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and clerked for the Honorable Gary F. DeVito of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Mr. West graduated cum laude from the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law and is a member of the Young Lawyers Council of the National Crime Victim Bar Association.
Mr. West's past successes include cases involving catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, whistleblower actions, civil rights, and Federal False Claims Act matters. Mr. West handles catastrophic and complex civil lawsuits which have settled or achieved jury verdicts of between six and eight figures.
What Ghost Guns Are and Why Civil Litigation Matters
Ghost guns are firearms assembled from component kits sold by manufacturers like Polymer80, Inc. These kits allow buyers to complete assembly at home, producing weapons with no serial numbers that cannot be traced by law enforcement. Unlike traditionally manufactured firearms sold through licensed dealers, ghost gun components are not subject to the same federal background check requirements, meaning individuals who may be prohibited from purchasing conventional firearms have obtained them through these kits.
While US law generally shields gun manufacturers from civil liability, ghost gun manufacturers represent a narrow legal exception. Civil liability in these cases arises specifically because these manufacturers sold their components to individuals legally prohibited from owning firearms - including convicted felons and minors - who then used those weapons to cause harm. The basis for liability is the unlawful distribution to prohibited persons, not simply the nature of the product.
The $30 million award obtained by David P. Thiruselvam and Keith Thomas West on behalf of a 14 year old shooting victim's family reflects a growing recognition by Pennsylvania courts that ghost gun manufacturers can be held civilly accountable for the foreseeable consequences of their distribution practices.
Shooting Victim Civil Lawyer in Philadelphia: Third Party Liability for Gun Violence Victims
As a shooting victim civil lawyer in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City, The Victims' Recovery Law Center pursues financial accountability from every legally responsible third party, not just the individual shooter. Business owners and property owners who ignored documented negligent security failures, bars and nightclubs that over served visibly intoxicated patrons under Pennsylvania dram shop law, and ghost gun manufacturers who sold their components to individuals legally prohibited from owning firearms can all face civil liability alongside the individual perpetrator.
The civil case operates completely independently of any criminal prosecution. A shooting victim civil lawsuit in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or anywhere across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City can proceed whether or not the shooter was arrested, charged, or convicted. Civil cases are decided by a preponderance of the evidence, a lower standard than beyond a reasonable doubt, meaning civil claims can succeed where criminal prosecution did not.
About The Victims' Recovery Law Center
Founded in 2007,The Victims' Recovery Law Center is a civil litigation firm based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The firm's practice is limited to civil court representation of victims of crime. It does not prosecute criminal cases and does not represent criminal defendants. The firm represents shooting victims, sexual assault survivors, child sexual assault victims, and other crime victims exclusively in civil court across Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City.
David P. Thiruselvam is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Associate attorney Keith Thomas West is licensed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For more information, visit victimrecoverylaw.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does a shooting victim civil lawyer in Philadelphia do in ghost gun cases?
The Victims' Recovery Law Center, with David P. Thiruselvam and associate attorney Keith Thomas West, represents shooting victims and their families in ghost gun civil claims across Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City. Keith Thomas West handled the bulk of the firm's ghost gun litigation against Polymer80, Inc., and the firm recently obtained a $30 million award from a Philadelphia judge on behalf of a 14 year old shooting victim's family.
Q: Can a shooting victim in Philadelphia sue a ghost gun manufacturer like Polymer80?
Yes. The Victims' Recovery Law Center and associate attorney Keith Thomas West obtained a $30 million award from a Philadelphia judge against Polymer80, Inc. on behalf of the family of a 14 year old shooting victim. Civil liability in these cases arises specifically because ghost gun manufacturers sold their components to individuals legally prohibited from owning firearms - including convicted felons and minors. Civil claims against ghost gun manufacturers in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania involve product liability and negligence theories examining foreseeability and manufacturer accountability.
Q: Can a shooting victim civil lawyer in Pittsburgh or New Jersey pursue ghost gun claims?
Yes. The Victims' Recovery Law Center handles ghost gun civil litigation on behalf of shooting victims and their families across Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City. David P. Thiruselvam is licensed in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Associate attorney Keith Thomas West is licensed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Q: Is a ghost gun civil lawsuit separate from a criminal case in Philadelphia?
Yes. Civil ghost gun lawsuits in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania are entirely independent of criminal prosecution. A civil claim can proceed whether or not the shooter was arrested or convicted and is decided by a preponderance of the evidence, a lower standard than beyond a reasonable doubt.
Q: How long does a Philadelphia shooting victim have to file a ghost gun civil lawsuit?
Pennsylvania's statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death claims is generally two years from the date of the injury or death. This deadline is strictly enforced in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and across Pennsylvania and does not pause for criminal proceedings. Shooting victims and their families are well advised to consult a shooting victim civil lawyer in Philadelphia as early as possible.
Media Contact:
Jack Smith
Media Director
Trustpoint Xposure
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SOURCE: Victims' Recovery Law Center