Vaccine injury claims are not like traditional personal injury claims and require an attorney admitted to the vaccine court in Washington, DC. Our Vaccine injury lawyers have represented numerous clients injured by vaccines.
The Vaccine Court
In 1986, Congress created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) to award compensation to individuals who suffer vaccine injury. Claims are filed in the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, DC where it will be heard by a special master. A lawyer from the Department of Justice ,who represents the Secretary of Health and Human Services, will defend the case. If the special master finds that the individual suffered a vaccine injury, compensation will be awarded for the injured person’s past and future medical needs, future lost wages, and past and future pain and suffering.
Vaccines Covered by the NVICP
Vaccine injury caused by the following vaccines are covered by the National Vaccination Injury Compensation Program:
- Tetanus toxoid-containing vaccines (DTaP, Tdap, DTP-Hib, DT, Td, TT)
- Pertussis antigen-containing vaccines (DTaP, Tdap, DTP, P, DTP-Hib)
- Measles, mumps and rubella virus-containing vaccines in any combination (MMR, MR, M, R)
- Rubella virus-containing vaccines (MMR, MR, R)
- Measles virus-containing vaccines (MMR, MR, M)
- Polio live virus-containing vaccines (OPV)
- Polio inactivated-virus containing vaccines (IPV)
- Hepatitis B antigen-containing vaccines (Engerix-B, Recombivax HB, Twinrix)
- Hemophilus influenzae (type b polysaccharide conjugate vaccines)
- Varicella vaccine (Varivax chickenpox virus vaccine and ProQuad)
- Rotavirus vaccine (Rota Teq )
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (Prevnar)
- Hepatitis A vaccines (Havrix, VAQTA, and Twinrix)
- Trivalent influenza vaccines (Flu vaccines including FluMist, a live attenuated influenza virus vaccine; and injectable influenza vaccines FluShield, Fluvirin, Fluzone, and Afluria)
- Meningococcal vaccines (meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4) and meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4), Menactra)
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines (Gardasil and Cervarix)
Compensated vaccine injury include the following:
death, anaphylaxis, encephalopathy, encephalitis, brachial neuritis, seizures, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, arthritis, thrombocytopenic purpura, intussusception, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, transverse myelitis, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome, reflexive sympathetic disorder, complex regional pain syndrome, autoimmune hepatitis, Tourette’s syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, lupus, connective tissue disorders, Wegener’s granulomatosis, polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), and Kawasaki disease.
Vaccine injury can be often very complicated, painful and lifelong. Vaccines injure people mostly through the augmentation of the body’s natural immune system.
Lawyer’s Fees
Importantly, lawyers’ fees and costs are paid separately out of the same Vaccine Injury Fund from which awards of compensation are paid, so you don’t have to pay your lawyer with your own money and the lawyer’s fees and costs do not come out of the award of compensation for your vaccine injury.
