Kansas City Vaccine Injury Attorneys

In Kansas City, as in the rest of Missouri, children are required to be vaccinated to attend school (except for special circumstances), and in many cases, adults receive vaccinations for health reasons as well as for their occupations. Vaccinations promise to protect against many very serious diseases, including polio, whooping cough, and measles, among others, but in rare cases, the vaccine isn’t benign and causes an adverse reaction in the recipient. In a worst-case scenario, the vaccine injury induces life-changing, debilitating problems, and even death.

Due to the societal necessity of vaccines, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 established the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund to pay damages to victims and their families. Hence, if you or a loved one has been harmed by a vaccine, you could be entitled to compensation from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund. For diligent representation from attorneys who have first-hand experience with vaccine injury cases, contact our Kansas City Vaccine Injury attorneys at The Popham Law Firm toll free (844) 243-2288 or (816)221-2288 for a free consultation and let us help you receive any entitled compensation you may be eligible for.

Common Vaccine Injuries and Disorders

There is a three-year statute of limitations for vaccine injury claims, but knowing whether you or your child has been injured specifically from a vaccine is quite straightforward. For example, an obvious injury came from the oral polio vaccine (OPV), a live vaccine, which was known to cause paralysis in far too many children. The oral polio vaccine is no longer used in the USA for this reason. Other common vaccine injuries and disorders can include:

•  Anaphylaxis – a serious allergic reaction to the antigens in a typical vaccine dose. Some vaccines are grown in  fertilized chicken eggs as well, and as such, those allergic to chicken eggs could experience a severe allergic reaction to the specific vaccine.

• Autoimmune reactions – these  reactions are very rare, and not unique to a specific vaccine. Autoimmune  reactions damage the nerves, potentially leading to Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), multiple sclerosis, myelitis, encephalitis, optic neuritis, arthritis, nephritis, and so forth.

• Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis – possible after the MMR vaccine; causes sudden inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.

• SIRVA – caused when the vaccine is injected too high or too deep into the arm, leading to intense  prolonged pain and limited motion.

• Intussusception – intestinal blockage from the intestine folding onto itself.

• Dermatomyositis – rare skin disease resulting in a distinct violet or red colored rash, accompanied by muscle weakness near the torso.

• Narcolepsy – symptoms of extreme daytime sleepiness. Can come from the flu vaccine.

There are several other possible disorders associated with vaccine injuries. Because your physician may have administered the vaccine dose, it is important to use a third-party physician for an analysis if you suspect a vaccine injury.

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

Along with the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1988, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was established as a no-fault system to compensate individuals and the families of individuals who’ve been injured by covered childhood vaccines. According to the Program, covered vaccines include diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae type B, varicella (chicken pox),rotavirus, and pneumococcal conjugate. Petitioners are eligible for compensation in the program for vaccine-related intussusceptions, resulting in complications or residual effects lasting longer than six months, inpatient hospitalization or surgery, or death. However, any injured individual, parent, legal guardian, or trustee of a child may file a claim for injury or death thought to be a result of a vaccine.

How to File a Vaccine Injury Claim

Despite the resources available to those injured by a vaccine, filing a claim is often a complex and arduous process. Itis important to note that vaccine injury cases are not handled the same as a personal injury case. As such, you will need an attorney who’s academic and practical experience goes beyond that of a generic personal injury lawyer.

Before filing the claim, make sure to gather all relevant medical documents, as well as a list of every hospital and doctor you’ve visited for treatment for the vaccine injury. The actual claim process begins by filing a petition with the Court of Federal Claims in Washington D.C. A Special Master is assigned to the case (a Special Master is a specialized judge who handles only vaccine injuries). You’ll be fighting against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Contact Popham Law in Kansas City Today

The Popham Law Firm is one of the few firms in Kansas City with attorneys who are experienced in vaccine law and vaccine injury cases. If you or a loved one has been injured, make sure to call The Popham Law Firm right away at (844) 243-2288 for a free consultation. Whether you win or lose the case, as long as the case was filed in good faith and with a reasonable basis, our fees are paid out of the same fund from which your compensations are paid. Please call us today!

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