It's Flu Season: What to Do if You Experience Shoulder Pain That Results From a Flu Vaccine
The federal government provides money to individuals that experience shoulder pain or other injury following certain vaccinations.
WASHINGTON, DC, USA, November 30, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Flu season is here, and that means millions of Americans are heading to doctors and pharmacists to obtain their annual flu shots. Although proven safe and effective for most people, in some instances being vaccinated with the annual flu vaccine can lead to serious complications, including shoulder pain which may become chronic.This type of injury is known as Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration, (or "SIRVA1"). A SIRVA injury can occur if a healthcare worker injects a vaccine at the wrong angle or too high up on the shoulder. Underweight patients or those with low body mass can also develop SIRVA if the needle is injected too deeply and over-penetrates the patient's deltoid muscle.
Frequent symptoms of SIRVA include pain at the injection site, stiffness, weakness, tingling, and loss of the shoulder's range of motion. Such injuries are often diagnosed as rotator cuff tears, bursitis, tendinitis, or adhesive capsulitis. In rare cases, surgery is required to correct the damage.
Fortunately, for those individuals who experience shoulder pain or injury, and seek treatment from a doctor, the Vaccine Injury Compensation2 Program is available to provide compensation, including an award for pain and suffering and lost wages. In addition to the flu vaccine, compensation is available for shoulder injuries caused by most other vaccines, including tetanus, Hepatitis A and B, and the HPV vaccine.
Enacted by Congress in 1986, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (also known as the vaccine court), is a federally funded, no fault compensation program, designed to provide monetary damages to people who have suffered a vaccine injury. Under the Vaccine Program, individuals can file a legal claim with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Special Masters from the court decide if a petitioner is eligible for compensation.
Although a majority of cases heard by the vaccine court are routinely settled, many people suffering from vaccine-related injuries fail to pursue recovery because of the perceived costs and difficulty associated with filing a complicated legal claim. Under the Vaccine Program, qualified vaccine attorneys are available and all costs for attorneys' fees are paid for by the vaccine court. This means that filing a claim for compensation should come at little or no financial cost to the injured party.
According to Vaccine Attorney Leah Durant, who specializes in representing individuals harmed by vaccines, many individuals find it difficult to obtain proper diagnosis and medical treatment following a vaccine injury.
"Often, people come to me after being told by a physician that it is impossible for severe shoulder injury to result following a needle injection, and many well-meaning healthcare providers are unaware of the damage that can result from the faulty administration of a vaccine," says Durant.
Since suffering her own shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, Durant has worked tirelessly to advocate for individuals diagnosed with SIRVA or other vaccine-related injuries. According to Durant, her personal experience with this type of injury helps her to relate to clients that experience the high level of pain and suffering associated with adverse vaccine reactions.
When deciding whether to pursue a claim for compensation for your vaccine shoulder injury3, obtaining prompt and proper treatment is critical. For some, steroids and physical therapy may help promote recovery. Other more serious injuries may require costly surgical procedures and extensive treatment, physical therapy, or rehabilitation. Anyone who experiences severe shoulder pain shortly after a vaccination should seek immediate medical attention. This is important not only to obtain proper diagnosis and treatment, but to help support any future claim for compensation.
Because filing a claim for vaccine compensation involves complex legal and medical principles not found in traditional tort litigation, Durant recommends finding a vaccine attorney that focuses exclusively on vaccine litigation claims. Although claims are decided by the vaccine court in Washington, DC, vaccine attorneys can represent clients in all 50 states. This means clients are never required to travel to pursue their claims.
To further facilitate the process, leading firms such as the Law offices of Leah V. Durant employ medical professionals that can answer questions and provide valuable insight, often critical to a client's success.
"This is really about awareness for individuals who experience illness or injury following a flu shot or other vaccine," says Durant. "The vaccine court provides a means of help for injured parties, but it is important that people understand what symptoms to look for, and where to go to seek prompt medical treatment. At this point, most people are unaware of their rights or that compensation may be available. Our biggest challenge is making sure people are aware of the program and helping them to obtain the resources they need."
Carlo Chatman
Power PR
310-787-1940
email us here
1 http://www.vaccineshoulderinjury.com
2 http://www.vaccineshoulderinjury.com
3 http://www.vaccineshoulderinjury.com