12-year-old wins £120,000 over swine-flu jab

Posted: June 15, 2015

Posted in: Medical Negligence 

A 12-year-old boy has been awarded £120,000 in compensation after a swine flu vaccination left him severely disabled. Iain Duncan Smith finally lost the three-year legal battle last week, described as a ‘landmark ruling’ that could open a number of compensation cases by others affected by the vaccination.

The 12-year-old boy, referred to during the case as ‘John’, will face a lifetime of suffering from narcolepsy as a result of the swine flu jab Pandremix. The Government could now be forced to pay out millions of pounds in compensation to the many others that sustained the rare brain disorder as a result of the drug.

“extensive hospital investigations”

John was given the vaccine in December 2009 at the age of 7 and was diagnosed with narcolepsy five months later following “extensive hospital investigations”. John’s parents made a claim under the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme in January 2012, which was rejected in 2013 because John’s condition was not ‘severe’ enough. The DWP wrote to John’s parents saying that they admitted that the vaccine caused the brain damage, but said that a threshold of 60% disabled had to be met to grant compensation.

Following an appeal, Judge Edward Mitchell ordered Iain Duncan Smith to pay the six-figure compensation.

Mr Todd, acting on behalf of 75 of the Britons in the civil liability claims against GSK for injury and loss caused by the Pandremix vaccine, said: “John’s case is an important precedent for any future case involving vaccine injury and is the first time the issue has been considered by an appellate court.”

If you have been affected by medical negligence, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us. 

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