Nov. 19, 2002

Law School Clinic Wins Multi-Million Dollar Victory

US Court of Federal Claims Rules in Favor of Clinic's Clients

Students from the GW Law School’s Vaccine Injury Clinic won a multi-million dollar settlement in the case of Dela Rosa v. Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

In the case, the clinic petitioned the court for compensation after its clients’ 10-year-old daughter suffered serious injuries, including brain damage and a seizure disorder, as a direct result of the government-mandated measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination. The United States Court of Federal Claims ruled that the client was entitled to a multi-million dollar compensation settlement, allowing her to remove her daughter from an institution to receive home care. 

“This case exemplifies the need for the Vaccine Injury Clinic,” says Peter H. Meyers, professor of clinical law and faculty supervisor for the clinic. “Our students were able to successfully represent a client in a difficult case which most lawyers would have never taken. 

Founded in 1994, the clinic was designed to represent parents seeking vaccine-injury compensation under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. The clinic is staffed by second- and third-year students.

 

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu