Shoulder Pain That Has Not Resolved After a Vaccination May Be a Compensable Injury.
A shoulder that will not heal after a routine vaccination is not a normal side effect. For most people, soreness following a vaccine resolves within a day or two. When significant shoulder pain, limited range of motion, or ongoing inflammation persists for weeks or months after a vaccination, the cause may be Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA).
SIRVA is one of the most frequently compensated injuries in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). If you are concerned that you or a loved one may be suffering from SIRVA, Jani Law PLLC can help.
Dhairya Jani practiced inside the VICP for years in multiple roles: as a lead DOJ Vaccine Trial Attorney, and as a federal judicial law clerk at the Vaccine Court. He has the experience you need to navigate the petition process and receive compensation for SIRVA. For a free and confidential consultation, contact our law firm today.
What Is SIRVA?
SIRVA is not a reaction to the vaccine itself. It results from how the injection was given.
When a vaccine is improperly administered, it can deposit vaccine material into the shoulder joint or surrounding structures rather than the muscle where it belongs. The resulting inflammatory response can cause significant and lasting damage to the shoulder.
Common SIRVA Diagnoses
- Bursitis (inflammation of the shoulder bursa)
- Rotator cuff tears or tendinopathy
- Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
- Glenohumeral joint damage
Symptoms of SIRVA
Symptoms of SIRVA typically start within 48 hours of receiving a vaccine. These symptoms include:
- Shoulder pain
- Decreased range of motion in the shoulder
Does Your Shoulder Injury Qualify as SIRVA Under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program?
SIRVA is listed on the Vaccine Injury Table, which means the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program already recognizes it as a known vaccine injury as long as it meets certain criteria:
- You received an intramuscular vaccine in the upper arm
- Significant shoulder pain began within 48 hours of vaccination
- You had no pre-existing condition affecting that shoulder before vaccination
- The pain and limited range of motion have been confined to the shoulder that received the vaccine
If your case meets the criteria above, you do not need to prove the vaccine caused your shoulder injury. The government has to prove it did not.
What If Your SIRVA Case Does Not Meet Vaccine Table Criteria?
Not every SIRVA case fits the Table perfectly. Your pain may have started a few days after vaccination rather than within 48 hours. The government may contest whether you truly had no prior shoulder condition.
Cases that fall outside the Table criteria have still been compensated in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The law allows for off-table vaccine injury compensation where a sound medical theory connects your vaccination to your shoulder injury, even without a perfect Table match.
If your situation does not check every box, that conversation is still worth having. Jani Law PLLC can discuss your shoulder injury and your options.
Is It SIRVA or Something Else?
Not all shoulder and arm pain after vaccination is SIRVA. Brachial neuritis is a different condition that can look similar at first but follows a distinct pattern: sudden, severe pain that comes on quickly and is followed by weakness in the arm, sometimes significant weakness.
SIRVA stays in the shoulder and does not involve that kind of nerve-related weakness. If your arm has become noticeably weak since your vaccination, brachial neuritis may be worth discussing with your doctor.
Brachial neuritis is also covered by the VICP, but the case is built differently. Getting the right diagnosis early matters.
Why Choose Jani Law PLLC for Your SIRVA Case
Dhairya Jani has practiced inside the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program from every angle:
- As a federal judicial law clerk at the Vaccine Court, he helped adjudicate SIRVA claims and dozens of other vaccine injury cases.
- As a lead DOJ Trial Attorney on more than 85 cases, he litigated SIRVA claims through contested hearings and negotiated settlements.
He has evaluated these cases from the government’s side. He knows what the government looks for, where it challenges SIRVA claims, and what it takes to win.
Have You Been Diagnosed with SIRVA? Contact Jani Law PLLC Today.
If you or someone you know developed a shoulder injury after a vaccination, contact Jani Law PLLC today for a free, confidential consultation. Attorney’s fees are paid separately by the VICP. That means you keep 100% of any compensation awarded.