Vaccination Injury in Spokane, WA
Did you know there are circumstances where you can file a lawsuit before petitioning the VICP?
Vaccine injury litigation can take a significantly different path than other torts. Many patients that suffer after vaccination in Spokane will petition the government first. However, there may be advantages to going a different way. Evaluate your options using the details about state and federal law below.
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 Spokane, Washington 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 Spokane. 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 Spokane vaccination injury lawyer.
Fainting (Vasovagal Syncope)
Vasovagal syncope is possible when a patient in Spokane has anxiety over their immunization. The body’s response can include a brief loss of blood flow to the brain that results in fainting. As a result, researchers have completed studies on how to prevent injuries while driving home.
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
ITP is a disorder that destroys platelets and limits their production in your blood. The consequence of this activity is a lack of clotting that leads to excessive bleeding or easy bruising. There can also be a distinctive spotting when blood pools under the skin. Anyone who suspects they have this condition in Spokane should schedule an appointment with their family doctor.
Vaccination-Related Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries may occur due to how Spokane, WA 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
Spokane 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?
Ultimately, your vaccine injury attorney in Spokane should answer this question. They will be aware of precedents for alternative routes for litigation. However, there are plenty of good reasons to compare your circumstances to what the Vaccine Injury Table has to say.
Anaphylaxis and Meningococcal Vaccines
Meningococcal vaccines are a standard part of any vaccination schedule. They are safe, effective and save millions from unnecessary suffering. Regardless, the rare possibility exists that a patient in Spokane could have an allergic reaction.
In many cases, a sensitivity to latex could be to blame. But other allergies could contribute, especially if they go undetected. If you or a loved one suffer anaphylaxis within four hours of administration, the HRSA may accept your petition.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome and Flu Vaccines
Researchers have monitored the relationship between Guillain-Barré Syndrome and flu vaccines for decades. Despite some statistical upticks, there has not been evidence to show an increased risk to recipients.
The Vaccine Injury Table continues to list this condition as compensable for seasonal flu vaccinations. The federal government limits the cases they accept to ones that happen 3 – 42 days after immunization.
Vasovagal Syncope and HPV Vaccines
Fainting and HPV vaccines have made the news since its introduction. Young women, in particular, seemed to pass out after its administration.
The CDC continues to recommend the HPV vaccine for 11 – 12 year olds in Spokane. Teens do tend to have a higher, but still uncommon, fainting reaction. Incidents that happen in less than an hour have a place on the Vaccine Injury Table.
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 Spokane, Washington, 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 Spokane 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.
The most crucial decisions for your lawsuit are usually the purview of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Nonetheless, your attorney could have a case to bring to the U.S. District Court in Spokane.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer In Spokane, Washington
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 Spokane, WA 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 Washington 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!
