Vaccine Injuries
Thousands of children born in the U.S. since 1990 suffered severe neurological damage, including autism, as a result of their exposure to a toxic preservative added to many of the most common childhood vaccines.
The preservative, called "thimerosal," contains an organic form of mercury, a metal long-known to be a very potent neurotoxin.
Children received more and more thimerosal-laden vaccines under a stepped-up vaccine schedule starting in the early 1990's, the thimerosal-laden shots were given earlier in life, and children were exposed to multiple doses of thimerosal with every multi-shot visit to their doctors' offices.
Some children were actually exposed to potentially dangerous levels of mercury even before birth, via the thimerosal contained in "Rhogam" and other shots given to pregnant women. Rh-negative women given thimerosal-laden Rhogam shots while pregnant received a dose of mercury that was passed on, at least in part, to the developing fetus. Mothers who received thimerosal-laden flu shots while pregnant also received a dose of mercury passed on to their children. These types of prenatal exposures to mercury via thimerosal, combined with the thimerosal levels contained in the recommended pediatric vaccine schedule, may be a substantial contributing cause of autism and other neurodevelopmental problems.
The use of thimerosal could have been avoided altogether if the drug companies had simply packaged their shots in single-shot vials or single use syringes, instead of the "bulk" packaging of the shots in multi-dose vials that were used to increase the profit margins on vaccines.
A voluntary phaseout of thimerosal from the pediatric vaccine supply was launched in mid-1999 in response to growing concerns over the dangers of exposing such young children to repeated doses of mercury in vaccines. The increase in mercury exposure via thimerosal coincides with a steep increase in rates of autism reported throughout the United States. The Institute of Medicine announced in October 2001 that a medical link between thimerosal exposure and autism is "biologically plausible," and a growing body of science points to a connection between thimerosal exposure and neurological injury.
WLO&P represents hundreds of injured children and their families seeking compensation for the devastating mercury-induced injuries caused by the unnecessary exposures to thimerosal. WLO&P attorneys are leaders in the effort to win compensation for the families in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (or "Vaccine Court"), a no-fault administrative program created by Congress to provide relief for vaccine-injured children. Families who file claims for compensation in Vaccine Court also have the right to later seek relief in the court system after they go through the Vaccine Court procedures, and WLO&P represents families in those lawsuits.
WLO&P is currently evaluating potential Vaccine Court claims on behalf of children under 7 years of age and who live in Washington, Oregon or California. To learn more about the legal rights of you or your loved one concerning vaccine injuries, please call our lawyers or e-mail our law firm by submitting a Potential Case Form.
WLO&P also works on behalf of its clients by monitoring political developments in Washington, D.C., where the multi-national drug companies have been lobbying and pressuring Congress for special legislation that would unfairly shield the companies from liability for the needless injuries they caused. Whether in Vaccine Court, in state and federal courts across the country, or in Congress, WLO&P is actively working to protect the rights of thimerosal-injured children and their families.
ABOUT US: Our Portland, Oregon - based attorneys have successfully helped thousands of people across the country in product liability litigation, consumer lawsuits, class actions, and personal injury suits. Learn more about our current cases and investigations. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how to protect your legal rights.
