Texas Polio Vaccine Lawyer

If the polio vaccine has caused a severe injury to you, your child, or your family member, you may qualify to file a polio vaccine lawsuit. Your case could be worth up to $250,000 in financial compensation from a federal program to help people like you, known as the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). Although polio vaccine side effects are very rare, they can be severe. For example, a serious allergic reaction could cause permanent organ damage, brain damage, disability, or death.

Do I Have a Polio Vaccine Lawsuit? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one has been injured after being immunized with the Polio vaccine, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a Polio Vaccine Lawsuit.

Polio Vaccine Overview

Thanks to the Polio vaccine, invented in 1955, polio has been eradicated from the United States and most countries where children are routinely immunized. Before the vaccine, thousands of children developed polio, a highly contagious, infectious viral disease. The virus grows in the throat and intestines of infected people. When non-infected people come in close contact with an infected person, or their feces, mucous, or phlegm, the polio virus can easily be transmitted. In about 1% of cases, polio causes severe illness, paralysis, permanent disability, or death.

There are two main types of polio vaccine:

• Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV): This is the only polio vaccine currently used in the U.S. It consists of an inactivated (dead) polio virus, which is unable to cause a polio infection.
• Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV): This vaccine has not been used in the U.S. since 2000, but it is still used in other parts of the world. It contains a whole polio virus, and in rare cases, was known to cause vaccine-strain paralytic polio.

Health experts recommend that children receive the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) as part of routine childhood immunization schedule. The immunization is administered in four shots, which are given at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6-18 months, and 4-6 years.

The polio vaccine may be given alone, but it is also commonly combined with certain other childhood immunizations — including the DTaP vaccine, Hepatitis B vaccine, and Hib vaccine.

Polio Vaccine Side Effects

Since the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) was phased out of use in the year 2000, the number of serious polio vaccine side effects has decreased significantly. One of the most serious Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) side effects is the risk of anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. This is a type of severe allergic reaction that affects the entire body. It typically occurs within a few minutes, or up to four hours after the polio vaccine is given. When the allergic reaction occurs, the child’s tongue and throat can severely swell within a few minutes. This cuts off the airway, and the lack of oxygen can cause organ damage, organ failure, permanent disability, or death.

Polio Vaccine Injury Claims

If you decide to file a polio vaccine injury claim with the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), the federal Vaccine Court could award you or your family up to $250,000 in financial compensation. Since the VICP was established in 1989, it has awarded billions in compensation to the victims of vaccine injuries.

There are limitations on who is eligible to file a polio vaccine lawsuit with the VICP. For example, only people who were seriously injured by the polio vaccine may file a claim. A “serious injury” means that it required hospitalization or surgery, or lasted at least six months, or caused death. Another requirement is that the vaccine must have harmed you, your child, or your family member (legal guardians of injured people may also be eligible). Finally, the polio vaccine injury claim must be filed before the deadline. You have three years for an injury claim, two years for a death, and four years for a death that was caused by a direct injury. Do not wait to file your claim. If you are unsure whether your claim may qualify, contact The Clark Firm, LLP today.

The VICP has received a total of 276 IPV claims, as of June 1, 2012. Of these, 14 claims were for deaths, and 262 were for injuries. The VICP dismissed 266 cases, awarded compensation in 7 cases, and is still reviewing the rest of the cases.

Do I have a Polio Vaccine Lawsuit?

Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $60 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact us for a free Polio Vaccine Lawsuit review.