It Costs Nothing to File a Claim
With few exceptions, a vaccine injury claim costs nothing to file. The person filing and pursuing a vaccine injury claim to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program does not pay any attorney fees.
Instead, lawyers representing your claim are eligible for reasonable attorneys' fees which are paid by the Program directly, whether or not the person is awarded compensation by the Court.
By statute, attorneys may not charge any other fee, including a contingency fee, for his or her services. We file your claim at no cost to you.
Many Costs are Often Advanced by The Lawyer
Similarly, the costs incurred for litigating the claim are often advanced by the lawyer. These include the filing fee, the costs for medical records, and the fees paid to experts who provide consultation and opinions to support the claim.
Once paid by the lawyer, these costs cannot be charged back to the person filing the claim, but instead are reimbursed by the Program.
A Person is Sometimes Required to Incur an Expense
The only exceptions are when the person is required to incur an expense, and this only happens occasionally when the person pays for records or has to attend a proceeding.
In those situations, the lawyer will seek reimbursement for the expense, so that in the end there is no cost to the person filing the claim.
The Goal of the Vaccine Injury Program
The goal of the Program is to allow persons who, in rare cases, have suffered an adverse reaction to a vaccine, to be compensated for their losses. That goal cannot be met if a person is required to incur the expenses normally associated with litigation.
Similarly, the Program recognizes that injuries and illnesses caused by vaccines involve complex and technical issues of a scientific, biological, and medical nature. Thus the Program's provisions for payment of attorneys' fees and expenses encourage persons to hire lawyers to investigate and represent them.
So, whether or not you choose us, there is no reason to not contact a lawyer in connection with a vaccine injury claim as you incur no cost in doing so.