While soreness is common after an immunization, it can also be a symptom of a serious vaccine-related shoulder injury. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) covers shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) when symptoms onset within 48 hours and last for at least six months. Our vaccine injury attorneys have extensive experience helping vaccine recipients file SIRVA claims under the VICP.
Overall, vaccine-related injuries are extremely rare. Only a tiny percentage (far less than one percent) of vaccine recipients experience injuries that require medical care.
But among vaccine-related injuries, shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) are easily the most common.
There is a simple reason: While most vaccine injuries are vaccine-specific, SIRVA is a risk with all vaccines administered via shoulder injection. This includes the annual flu shot, among other common immunizations. As a result, vaccine recipients should know the symptoms of SIRVA. Learn more from the experienced vaccine injury attorneys at Law Offices of Leah V. Durant & Associates:
What Are the Symptoms of SIRVA?
A key fact to know about SIRVA is that it is not a single type of injury, but rather a class of injuries related to improper vaccine administration. As a result, different vaccine recipients may experience different symptoms.
Broadly speaking, however, most vaccine recipients who experience SIRVA have the same initial symptoms. Common early symptoms of SIRVA include:
- Pain that doesn’t go away (or that gets worse instead of better)
- Pain that radiates into the arm and hand
- Limited range of motion in the shoulder
- Muscle weakness in the shoulder and arm
- Stiffness, swelling, and inflammation
These are signs that medical intervention may be necessary. To diagnose SIRVA, doctors typically ask vaccine recipients about their symptoms and may order ultrasounds, MRIs, X-rays, and other tests. Because SIRVA can take different forms, an accurate diagnosis is essential to provide appropriate treatment recommendations.
When Can Vaccine Recipients Seek Financial Compensation for SIRVA?
Individuals diagnosed with a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) after receiving an immunization listed on the Vaccine Injury Table may be entitled to compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). To be covered under the VICP, a vaccine-related shoulder injury must:
- Cause symptoms within 48 hours of vaccine administration; and
- Cause symptoms that last at least six months.
When SIRVA is covered under the VICP, vaccine recipients can seek reimbursement for medical bills they have incurred to date and those they are likely to incur in the future. The VICP also covers eligible claimants’ lost wages, and it provides up to $250,000 in compensation for eligible claimants’ pain and suffering.
How Can Vaccine Recipients Seek Financial Compensation for SIRVA?
To seek compensation for SIRVA, you must file a claim under the VICP. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims (also commonly referred to as the “Vaccine Court”) administers the VICP, and vaccine recipients must file their claims there. This is a complex process, so hiring an attorney is strongly recommended.
The VICP covers eligible claimants’ legal fees. As a result, vaccine recipients can hire an attorney at no cost. When a vaccine recipient’s claim is successful, the VICP pays the claimant’s legal fees separately—meaning that claimant’s legal fees are not deducted from the compensation awarded.
FAQs: What Vaccine Recipients Should Know About Shoulder Injuries Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA)
What does it mean to be diagnosed with a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA)?
Vaccine recipients diagnosed with shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) may be eligible to seek financial compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). Our vaccine injury attorneys routinely represent clients diagnosed with SIRVA in VICP claims, and we are happy to speak with vaccine recipients who have questions about their legal rights.
What types of shoulder injuries qualify as SIRVA?
Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), brachial neuritis, bursitis, tendonitis, reduced range of motion, and rotator cuff tears can all be characterized as SIRVA when they result from errors during vaccine administration. As discussed above, to be covered under the VICP, these injuries must cause symptoms that begin within 48 hours and last for at least six months.
What are the costs associated with SIRVA?
Shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) can lead to substantial costs for vaccine recipients and their families. Financial costs associated with SIRVA include medical expenses and lost earnings, and total costs depend on the severity of a vaccine recipient’s injury, among other factors.
SIRVA can cause significant pain and suffering as well, and these are also “costs” for which eligible vaccine recipients can seek financial compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). But strict deadlines and other eligibility requirements apply, so vaccine recipients with questions about filing a VICP claim should consult an attorney promptly.
How Our Vaccine Injury Attorneys Can Help
We provide full-service legal representation for vaccine recipients who have SIRVA claims under the VICP. This includes providing free claim assessments and providing no-cost legal representation throughout the claims process. We work closely with our clients and their doctors to understand the costs they are entitled to recover, and we focus on securing out-of-court settlements whenever possible. That said, we also take our clients’ VICP claims to court when settlement is not an option, and we have a proven track record of providing effective representation in the Vaccine Court when necessary.
Contact Us for a Free, No-Obligation Consultation Today
If you need to know more about filing a National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) claim for a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA), we invite you to get in touch. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced vaccine injury attorneys, call us at 202-775-9200 or tell us how we can help online today.