You, or someone you love, received a vaccine covered under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and might have a vaccine injury. You are ready to contact Sands Anderson to discuss your potential vaccine injury claim with one of our attorneys.
What documents will an attorney need to determine if you have a viable vaccine injury claim to bring before the court?
Your Vaccine Administration Records
You will need to provide a record of the vaccine that was administered.
At a minimum, this record should include:
- The date the vaccine was administered
- The physical location where the vaccine was administered (typically a medical provider or pharmacy)
- The site of vaccine (left arm/deltoid, right arm/deltoid, etc.)
Even if your vaccination record does not show this, it is important to request the record and specifically ask for this information.
Medical Records Documenting Your Injury
A vaccine injury claim must be supported by contemporaneous medical records. That means you need documentation from your medical provider showing you are injured and receiving treatment. It is even more helpful if a provider directly links your injury to the vaccine administration.
If you have received medical care for your injury, request these records from the provider prior to speaking to an attorney. You do not have to have the records in hand prior to your consultation, but it will be helpful to have the request already in process.
If you think you have a vaccine injury, but haven’t yet received medical care for your injury, go to the doctor! If a claim is filed with the court, it will be important to have these records supporting the onset of your vaccine injury. Some claims come down to the timing of the onset of your injury, and without this documentation, onset can be harder to prove.
It is also important that you follow the recommendations of your medical providers and continue to seek treatment for your injury.
Having the above items ready to provide to our office (upon request*) will allow us to evaluate your claim quickly and determine if we can help you. *Note, please do not send any medical records until you have been specifically requested to do so.
Once you’ve talked to an attorney about your vaccine injury claim and provided the necessary documents, then what?
This is a critical time to stay in contact! Sometimes we need additional information after reviewing your initial records. It is imperative that you are responsive to our inquiries and requests. Prompt communication will allow us to move more quickly and avoid running close to the deadline to file a vaccine injury on your behalf.
More information on the next steps in the vaccine injury claims process can be found here.