Vaccination Injury in Charleston, WV
Did you know the federal government may pay up to $250,000 for a vaccine injury in Charleston?
However, there are complexities to this type of litigation that doesn’t exist in others. First and foremost, many cases will have to start by petitioning the HRSA. This fact makes evaluating your case for litigation opportunities crucial to accomplish. If you want to get started today, reading this guide today will help you decide what is in your best interests.
What Is a Vaccination Injury?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports vaccines contain a weakened or dead version of a disease. After injection, the body develops antibodies to specific illnesses. Effectively, this makes the recipient immune from the disease.
Most people who receive vaccines have a successful immunity boost for many illnesses. While vaccines may contain the disease, some recipients develop health problems. A qualified Charleston, West Virginia vaccination injury lawyer can help determine if you have a claim.
It can be onerous to determine how many individuals suffer harm from vaccines annually in Charleston. Furthermore, linking a vaccine injury to ongoing medical issues can be challenging. Nonetheless, the federal government offers a Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to citizens.
What Are Some Common Types of Vaccination Injuries?
It is perfectly normal to experience some minor soreness around the vaccine injection site. However, vaccines should not cause significant harm. If you or a loved one has experienced pain, loss of body functions or even death, you should talk to an experienced Charleston vaccination injury lawyer.
Febrile Seizures
Febrile seizures typically happen when a child has a fever of 102°F and above. However, they can also occur when an infant’s temperature lowers. Thankfully, most cases in Charleston will not do lasting damage despite how frightening they may be.
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
According to WebMD, CIDP can be a deceptive disease to diagnose. It has symptoms similar to other vaccination injuries, like Guillain-Barre syndrome. Furthermore, it is a rare complication that patients in Charleston are not as likely to experience. While individual experiences will vary, the symptoms that may indicate you suffer from it include:
- Losing your reflexes
- Numbness in the extremities
- Tingling sensations in the arms and legs
- Inability to walk due to loss of balance
Vaccination-Related Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries may occur due to how Charleston, WV health professionals administer the vaccine. Alternatively, the contents of the vaccine can cause harm.
Symptoms may range from ongoing pain at the injection site to a complete loss of muscle movement in the arm. While often temporary, vaccination-related shoulder injuries may be permanent.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Research has linked Guillain-Barre syndrome to different types of vaccines, one of which is the annual flu shot. The condition happens when the immune system attacks itself, causing damage to nerve cells.
While the symptoms vary, they often include paralysis and muscular weakness. These issues typically resolve within a few weeks. But, Guillain-Barre syndrome may cause permanent nerve damage. This injury may result in loss of motion, paralysis, and other ongoing complications.
Anaphylaxis
Charleston healthcare professionals should check for known patient allergies. If a vaccine recipient happens to be allergic to the ingredients in the vaccine, the injection may cause a reaction. Symptoms may include hives, fevers, fainting, shortness of breath, and anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that is potentially life-threatening. Regrettably, an individual may not realize they have an allergy until after receiving the vaccination.
Encephalitis
Encephalitis sometimes happens when there is an infection in the body. It can also be part of the body’s response to an infection. This condition results in swelling of brain tissue.
Some common symptoms of encephalitis are pain, fever, headaches, fatigue, and weakness. While these problems may resolve in a few weeks, doctors must track this potentially life-threatening condition.
Myelitis
While encephalitis is swelling of the brain, myelitis involves spinal cord inflammation. Nonetheless, doctors and scientists do not completely understand the causes of myelitis.
Still, some patients have developed spinal cord inflammation after vaccine injection. Swelling around the spinal cord may cause a variety of complications. Symptoms may include paralysis, pain and loss of muscular control.
What Are Some of the Vaccines, Conditions, and Injuries Covered by Law?
Federal law allows patients to send petitions for compensation after a vaccine injury. However, the circumstances you report in Charleston need to have eligibility. Making this assessment requires comparing what happened to you to the Vaccine Injury Table from the HRSA.
Hepatitis B Vaccine
West Virginia DHHR states it can be 30 to 180 days before Hepatitis B symptoms appear. Moreover, there may be no signs of the virus until a patient in Charleston tests positive. These facts make vaccination even more crucial since liver damage is a possible consequence.
If you suffer from the vaccine within a particular timeline, you can submit a claim to the HRSA. For instance, experiencing an allergic reaction up to four hours after an injection is eligible under federal law.
Measles Vaccine
The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health states that vaccinations for measles usually cover two other diseases. An MMR vaccine also protects patients from mumps and rubella (whooping cough). Generally, most Charleston residents will become inoculated as children for these viruses.
While an MMR vaccination is safe and well-tested, the following injuries may qualify for compensation:
- Vasovagal syncope or fainting
- Shoulder injuries
- Encephalopathy or encephalitis
- Anaphylaxis or allergic reactions
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib)
According to the CDC, children under five should receive the Hib vaccine. The urgency comes from the potential for dangerous and potentially dangerous infections.
Currently, five vaccinations have received approval for use in Charleston. Regardless of which one you or a loved one receives, there are two scenarios listed in the Vaccine Injury Table:
- Fainting (vasovagal syncope) incidents that arise within 1 hour of vaccination
- Shoulder injuries directly related to the administration of the vaccine that appears within 48 hours
What Is the Legal Process for a Vaccination Injury?
Even if the symptoms you experienced after your vaccine are not in the above list, you may still have a vaccination injury.
If you have sustained an injury from a vaccination in Charleston, West Virginia, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should also seek a legal opinion as quickly as possible. A vaccine-related injury can result in extreme consequences that interfere with your life. Accordingly, you may be able to pursue financial compensation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Hiring a qualified Charleston legal professional can help determine if you qualify for compensation.
A lawyer can also explain your other legal options. For example, you could file a lawsuit against the vaccine manufacturer. In other cases, you may sue the healthcare professional who administered the vaccine.
The claims process is very complex. If you do not properly assert your claim, you may receive a denial and jeopardize your odds of receiving compensation.
You may need to attend hearings in Charleston before mediation or litigation concludes. In this circumstance, the U.S. District Court in the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse will adjudicate.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer In Charleston, West Virginia
The purpose of a vaccine is to improve your quality of life by keeping you healthy. Unfortunately, if you suffer an injury after vaccination, your life may never be the same again.
While you may be able to receive financial compensation for your vaccine injury, the process is not easy. Therefore, hiring an experienced Charleston, WV vaccine injury attorney is essential. It will greatly impact the quality of assistance and settlement you may receive.
If you are looking to hire a vaccination injury lawyer, we are here for you. We can even help you connect with an attorney across West Virginia state lines.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
