Getting diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) can be a life-changing experience. Guillain-Barre Syndrome can have various effects; and, since there is currently no known cure, treatment generally focuses on symptom management and being prepared for the possibility of a relapse in the future. For individuals who get GBS from a flu or tetanus vaccine, filing a claim under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) can be critical for managing the disease’s costs long-term.

Under the VICP, individuals who have GBS and flu vaccine claims can seek to recover the costs of their medical care, their loss of income and certain other out-of-pocket losses. The VICP also provides up to $250,000 in financial compensation for eligible claimants’ pain and suffering. But, in order to recover just compensation under the VICP, claimants must have a clear understanding of the lifetime costs of their diagnosis.

The Financial and Non-Financial Costs of Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Guillain-Barre Syndrome affects all patients differently. There are multiple variants of GBS, each with its own symptoms, and the disease can impact some individuals’ lives much more significantly than others. Different patients will respond differently to their GBS treatment as well.

As a result, if you have a GBS and flu vaccine claim under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, the amount you can recover is based almost entirely on your individual circumstances. So, while all VICP claimants can generally seek to recover the following four types of losses, the value of your VICP claim will be entirely unique to you:

1. Medical Expenses

There are two primary forms of treatment for GBS—intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and plasmapheresis. Both of these forms of treatment require hospital admission, and patients will “usually need to stay in [the] hospital for a few weeks to a few months.”

In addition to IVIG or plasmapheresis, patients may need various other forms of treatment as well during their stay in the hospital, once they return home or both. Many patients will need to continue one or more of these additional forms of treatment for years, if not the rest of their life.

Along with IVIG and plasmapheresis, other necessary forms of treatment for GBS may include:

• Placement on a ventilator
• Use of a feeding tube
• Catheterization
• Pain medications
• Medications for constipation, blood clots and other potential complications

All of this means that treatment for Guillain-Barre Syndrome can be incredibly expensive. A study conducted in 2004 found that, “[t]he mean cost per patient with GBS was $318,966.” The average is almost certainly much higher today, and many patients will incur medical expenses far in excess of this amount during their lifetimes.

2. Other Out-of-Pocket Costs

Along with medical expenses, GBS patients and their families may incur a variety of other out-of-pocket costs as well. This can include everything from transportation costs for getting to and from the hospital to the cost of hiring cleaners, landscapers and in-home care providers to do things that patients and their family members are unable to do on their own. Eligible claimants can recover many of these costs under the VICP, provided that they can demonstrate these additional costs—past, present, and future—with adequate documentation.

3. Loss of Income (and Future Earning Capacity)

Patients diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome will be unable to work while receiving inpatient care, and the effects of GBS can make it difficult and painful—if not impossible—to work following discharge from the hospital as well. When eligible vaccine recipients’ diagnoses prevent them from working, their loss of income is also covered under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Here, too, this includes losses now and in the future, and it is up to claimants to determine and demonstrate how much they are entitled to recover.

4. Pain and Suffering

For many people, living with Guillain-Barre Syndrome will have a drastic effect on their day-to-day life. Even with medication, they will still live with pain on a daily basis, and their condition will prevent them from doing many of the things that they used to take for granted. Collectively, these non-financial effects of GBS are referred to as “pain and suffering.”

These effects are also covered under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program As noted above, the VICP pays up to $250,000 for eligible claimants’ pain and suffering. This is compensation above and beyond the costs of treatment, and it is intended to help eligible vaccine recipients cope with the non-financial effects of their diagnosis.  

Documenting the Costs of Guillain-Barre Syndrome from a Flu Shot

Recovering the lifetime costs of Guillain-Barre Syndrome from a flu shot under the VICP requires clear documentation of eligible claimants’ financial and non-financial costs. While medical records and employment records will tell part of the story, they are not sufficient on their own. Claimants must submit various other forms of documentation as well—and this is one reason, among many, why it is important to work with an experienced vaccine attorney.

The VICP covers claimants’ legal fees separately from their compensation awards, so it costs nothing to hire an attorney to represent you. An experienced vaccine attorney will be able to help you present clear documentation of your financial and non-financial costs—including the costs that you are likely to incur in the future. While this process can take some time and will require some effort on your part, it is extremely important, and it is one of the most important steps you can take to file a successful claim for GBS under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Do You Have a GBS and Flu Vaccine Claim Under the VICP? Contact Us for a Free, No-Obligation Consultation

If you need to know more about filing a GBS and flu vaccine claim under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. We handle VICP claims on behalf of vaccine recipients and families nationwide. To get started with a free, no-obligation consultation, please call 202-800-1711 or request an appointment online today.

Leah Durant Bio

Experienced litigation attorney Leah Durant focuses on representing clients in complex vaccine litigation matters. Leah Durant is the owner and principal attorney of the Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, a litigation firm based in Washington, DC. Leah Durant and her staff represent clients and their families who suffer from vaccine-related injuries, adverse vaccine reactions and vaccine-related deaths. The Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC is dedicated to assisting individuals in recovering the highest level of compensation as quickly and efficiently as possible. To learn more, contact vaccine attorney Leah Durant today.

Categories: Flu Vaccine, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (Flu GBS), National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, Vaccine Injury Claim