If you have concerns about a vaccine-related injury or illness, friends or family members may have recommended that you speak with a vaccine lawyer. If this is the case, you might be wondering, “What does a vaccine lawyer do?”
Vaccine Lawyers Help Individuals and Families Coping with the Effects of Vaccine-Related Injuries and Illnesses
Broadly speaking, vaccine lawyers help individuals and families who are coping with the effects of vaccine-related injuries and illnesses. While the primary way vaccine lawyers help is by pursuing claims for financial compensation (more on this below), they can help in other ways as well.
For example, a vaccine lawyer can provide resources for understanding your situation, explain the costs associated with vaccine-related injuries and illnesses, and help you make informed decisions about asserting your (or your family’s) legal rights. An experienced vaccine lawyer will have represented hundreds of individuals and families facing circumstances similar to yours and will be able to use the insights gained from this experience to help guide you forward.
Vaccine Lawyers Handle Claims Under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP)
The primary service vaccine lawyers provide is representing individuals and families in claims under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The VICP is a federal program that pays hundreds of millions of dollars to vaccine recipients and their loved ones each year.
Unlike most federal programs, the VICP does not have an “application” process. Instead, seeking compensation under the VICP involves filing a “petition” in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (also known as the Vaccine Court). Government attorneys review all petitions and decide whether to fight them in the Vaccine Court or negotiate a settlement. Vaccine lawyers prepare their clients’ petitions, negotiate with the government’s attorneys, and appear on behalf of their clients in the Vaccine Court when necessary.
Vaccine Lawyers Calculate Their Clients’ Losses
Another unique aspect of the VICP is that it pays compensation based on claimants’ actual losses—there are no default rates or schedules of benefits. Vaccine lawyers calculate their clients’ losses so that they can seek appropriate compensation when negotiating settlements or arguing their clients’ cases in court. The losses vaccine lawyers can help their clients recover include:
Loss of income (current and future)
Medical expenses (current and future)
Other qualifying out-of-pocket costs
Pain and suffering
Vaccine Lawyers Represent Their Clients At No Cost
Vaccine lawyers handle their clients’ VICP claims at no cost. This is because the VICP pays claimants’ legal fees separately from their awards. So, unlike pursuing a traditional personal injury claim, you do not have to pay a contingency fee when you hire a lawyer to seek compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Schedule a Free Consultation with National Vaccine Lawyer Leah V. Durant
If you believe that you may be entitled to compensation under the VICP, we strongly encourage you to speak with a vaccine lawyer about your legal rights. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation at the Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, please call 202-800-1711 or request an appointment online today.
Leah Durant Bio
Experienced litigation attorney Leah Durant focuses on representing clients in complex vaccine litigation matters. Leah Durant is the owner and principal attorney of the Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, a litigation firm based in Washington, DC. Leah Durant and her staff represent clients and their families who suffer from vaccine-related injuries, adverse vaccine reactions and vaccine-related deaths. The Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC is dedicated to assisting individuals in recovering the highest level of compensation as quickly and efficiently as possible. To learn more, contact vaccine attorney Leah Durant today.