Vaccination Injury in Fayetteville, NC
Do you know the limitations of the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program?
According to Reuters, the maximum payout is $50,000 plus medical bills and lost wages. Taking current healthcare costs into consideration, this may not seem like enough.
However, patients in Fayetteville may not have to accept these limitations. Discover how and why you should consider hiring an attorney through this brief guide today.
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 Fayetteville, North Carolina 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 Fayetteville. 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 Fayetteville vaccination injury lawyer.
Chronic Idiopathic Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
CIDP is a vaccination injury that can seriously impact your quality of life in Fayetteville. Among other concerns, the autoimmune disorder can cause a loss of feeling or paralysis in your limbs. Moreover, studies have found it contributes to fatigue, whether active or in remission.
Intussusception
The CDC reports a rare risk of intussusception after receiving vaccines for rotavirus in particular. The currently estimated range is 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 100,000. When it happens in Fayetteville, there are two generally accepted treatments. According to the Mayo Clinic, an air enema or surgery will become necessary to resolve the entanglement of intestines.
Vaccination-Related Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries may occur due to how Fayetteville, NC 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
Fayetteville 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?
Evaluating the soundness of your petition from Fayetteville for compensation can be stressful. To avoid confusion, we have provided these sections to demonstrate some well-established scenarios.
Hepatitis A Vaccines
NCDHHS reports that North Carolina is one of several states experiencing a Hepatitis A outbreak. Thankfully, vaccination is a safe and highly-effective way to prevent infection. The virus can cause significant liver damage and symptoms like the following:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Jaundice
- Dark urine
- Abdominal Pain
However, what has coverage under the Vaccine Injury Table when this vaccination goes wrong? Passing out in under an hour from vaccination or shoulder injuries within 48 hours are compensable.
Diphtheria Vaccines
Diphtheria is a potentially fatal disease children in Fayetteville receive vaccinations against at an early age. However, the NCDHHS recommends getting a booster shot every ten years.
Most patients receive inoculation against diphtheria as part of the DTaP vaccine. In addition to preventing this bacterial infection, it offers protection against tetanus and pertussis. The current list of known injuries the HRSA will process petitions for include:
- Shoulder injuries with a clear link to the injection that appear within 48 hours
- Brachial neuritis or Parsonage-Turner syndrome 2 – 28 days after vaccination
- Vasovagal syncope or fainting in less than an hour after receiving the shot
- Anaphylaxis that occurs in four hours or less after administration of the vaccine
Pneumococcal Vaccines
NCDHHS recommends infants receive four doses of a pneumococcal vaccine before they reach two years old. If children in Fayetteville miss this timeline, there are options that a doctor can offer to provide protection. As with other vaccines, shoulder injuries or vasovagal syncope have coverage under current law.
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 Fayetteville, North Carolina, 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 Fayetteville 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.
In general, you can expect the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of North Carolina to judge the validity of claims from Fayetteville.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer In Fayetteville, North Carolina
The purpose of a vaccine is to improve your quality of life by keeping you healthy. Unfortunately, if you suffer an injury after a 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 Fayetteville, NC 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 North Carolina 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!
