What You Might Not Know About Vaccine Injury
Vaccines play an important role in staying healthy for both children and adults, but as you might expect, accidents do unfortunately happen from time to time. Although these accidents are not the norm, when they do occur, they can have long-lasting consequences that negatively impact a person’s life.
What you might not know about vaccine injury is that people who have been injured can receive financial compensation through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, also known as the VICP. What is the VICP, and how can it help you when you’ve experienced a vaccine injury? We think it’s time to review some simple facts about this program, and that’s exactly why we’re here today:
What is the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program?
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program exists as an alternative to normal legal options for individuals, or the families of individuals, who have experienced an injury, illness, or death caused by a vaccine that is covered by the program. The VICP was developed by the federal government in 1988 and covers serious complications stemming from childhood and adult vaccines that have been administered in both the public and private sectors.
How Common Are Vaccine Injuries?
Every year, millions of people receive vaccines that keep them from getting a variety of diseases. Before vaccines, diseases such as measles, polio, and smallpox were able to run amok throughout the United States and worldwide, but now those have been eradicated from most or all areas of the planet thanks to the development and distribution of effective vaccines. Unfortunately, nothing is entirely foolproof, so injuries can occur due to either adverse reactions to the vaccine or physical injuries when a vaccine is administered. According to the CDC, approximately 30,000 reports are submitted each year to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which allows you to report any adverse effects that you believe stem from a vaccine. Of this number, around 10-15% are classified as serious.
Is My Vaccine Covered by the VICP?
Whether or not your vaccine is covered by the VICP is very simple. You can start by clicking right here for a list of covered vaccines. You can also access the Vaccine Injury Table to see a breakdown of the covered vaccines, the injuries covered by each vaccine, and the timeframe for symptoms to arise in order to be considered under the VICP. The process may seem straightforward, but the step to properly make and establish a claim is far more involved than just following a list or table.
What Should I Do If My Vaccine Injury Is on the List?
If you notice that your vaccine is on the list, and you believe that you have been seriously injured by that vaccine, then you should contact an attorney right away. An attorney that understands vaccine injury claims will assist you in determining whether or not your injury would be covered and ensure that you get the greatest amount of compensation for the given injury. Once the attorney has determined that you have a VICP claim, he or she will file your claim and present evidence to the court to support your claim and obtain compensation for your injury.
If you or a loved one has experienced a serious vaccine injury or illness, or any other type of personal injury, you should never hesitate to seek legal advice right away. The attorneys at Mintz Law Firm can help you get the compensation you deserve. Reach out to us today for a free case evaluation!