Vaccination Injury in Minnesota

Vaccines are measured for both safety and efficacy before they are administered to the public. This is according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Still, there have been instances of someone being injured by the administration of a vaccine. If this is the case, you may want to contact an experienced attorney in Minnesota. He or she can help you make your case as you navigate this journey.

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. An experienced Minnesota 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 Minnesota. 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 in Minnesota?

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 may want to speak with Minnesota vaccination injury lawyers.

Seizures

The CDC states that there is a small increase of risk for seizures when administering certain types of vaccines, specifically MMR and MMRV vaccines. While 5% of children will experience a febrile seizure between the ages of 1 and 5, this risk increases slightly with the administration of the vaccine. It generally occurs within 5 to 12 days of receiving the first dose.

Rash

When certain individuals receive a vaccine, it can trigger a response that produces a rash. At times this can be localized to the injection site, however, there is a possibility that a rash develops over large portions of the body. The CDC documents these cases with the recent covid-19 vaccine, calling it “Covid Arm”.

Vaccination-Related Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder injuries may occur due to how any Minnesota health professional administers 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

Minnesota 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?

Consulting the Vaccine Injury Table can give tremendous insight into the side effects that might be possible with different vaccinations. These vaccines are all backed by federal law.

Mumps

Mumps is spread through infected saliva, and causes swelling of the saliva and parotid glands. It can also cause fevers, fatigue, and loss of appetite. While preventable through vaccination, the vaccine may also cause injury, albeit very rare. Vaccination injuries with mumps consist of shoulder injuries, anaphylaxis, and in very rare cases, encephalopathy.

Chicken Pox

The Varicella-Zoster virus, more commonly referred to as chicken pox, is an acute infection that previously scourged large swaths of the population. It is categorized by a rash of large, red lesions generally congregating on the face, neck, chest, and back, before spreading to the whole body. This lasts for a period of 4 to 7 days. Vaccination against this disease is very successful, but can produce anaphylaxis in rare individuals.

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 Minnesota, 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 an experienced Minnesota 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.

If you have endured an injury as the result of vaccination, you may want to engage the services of an experienced Minnesota attorney. He or she will most likely file your case with the U.S. District Court for Minnesota.

Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer in Minnesota

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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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!