The national law firm of Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman has filed a Gardasil injury lawsuit on behalf of a young woman from Higganum, Connecticut, who says the injuries she now suffers after receiving the HPV vaccine have made her life "a living hell."
Attorneys Bijan Esfandiari, Nicole K. H. Maldonado, Michael L. Baum, Monique Alarcon, and co-counsel Robert F. Kennedy, Jr filed the complaint (Case No. 3:21-cv-00438) in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut on behalf of 22-year-old Korrine Herlth. Korrine suffers from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), vision loss, and a host of other serious health issues she alleges were caused by the Gardasil HPV vaccine.
The Gardasil injury lawsuit names the vaccine's manufacturer Merck & Co. Inc. and subsidiary Merck Sharp & Dohm Corp. as defendants. Both companies are based in New Jersey.
According to the allegations, Merck negligently designed and conducted clinical trials for Gardasil before receiving market approval, was negligent in the manufacture of Gardasil, and failed to warn consumers of dangerous known side effects. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages against Merck for creating a substantial risk of significant harm to children injected with the Gardasil vaccine.
"Merck is still running ads scaring parents with false claims about the dangers of HPV and cervical cancer," says attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "The truth is Merck has no idea if Gardasil actually prevents cervical cancer – there isn't a single clinical study to validate that claim. Do you want to know what's really scary? Scary is a giant corporation spending millions in advertising to inject people with a vaccine they've never truly tested. Scary is being so damaged from that vaccine that you experience a host of life-changing injuries, including now being legally blind."
The case filed yesterday is one of several ongoing cases for the Gardasil attorneys at Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman. Some other recently filed cases include:
Gardasil Lawsuit Alleges HPV Vaccine Caused POTS and Vision Loss
Growing up, Korrine Herlth was a happy, healthy girl with a passion for music and a love for animals that she hoped to one day turn into a career. She was an active member of the New England Chamber Children's Choir, (The Trebles), her church choir, and both her middle school and high school choirs, where she regularly performed in concerts and sang in several different languages.
Like other girls her age, she had a diverse range of interests and activities. She enjoyed attending concerts with her friends, riding her bike, roller skating, horse handling and riding, gymnastics, and many other hobbies.
All of that changed when she was 15 years old.
On October 2, 2013, Korrine received her first shot of the Gardasil HPV vaccine during a routine yearly physical examination. Like many mothers, Andrea Herlth permitted her daughter to receive the Gardasil injections after years of relentless marketing from Merck maintaining that Gardasil is very safe, that it prevents cancer and that good mothers must vaccinate their teenage daughters with the HPV vaccine.
Within a week of her second Gardasil injection on December 3, 2013, Korrine began experiencing dizziness and shakiness, headaches, and nausea. She also noticed an increased heart rate and felt faint and unsteady when she stood. Alarmed by these post-Gardasil symptoms and her daughter's rapidly declining health, Mrs. Herlth did not consent to Korrine receiving a third shot of Gardasil.
As months passed, Korrine's symptoms grew worse. She was seen by multiple physicians and specialists for her growing list of health problems which now included:
- Daily seizures
- Intractable vertigo and nausea exacerbated by double vision
- Visual floaters
- Balance difficulties
- Chronic Fatigue
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Convulsions
- Sleep apnea, hypoxia and sleep disturbances
- Depression and atypical response to antidepressants
- Cognitive difficulties
- Numbness and tingling in her lower extremities
- Involuntary movements and tics
- Endometriosis
- Weakened connective tissue and chronic joint pain
- Vision loss
As a result of her post-Gardasil symptoms, Korrine was unable to participate in normal activities that teens enjoy. She recalled having trouble walking the halls of her school. Focusing in a class full of students proved impossible. Her physical activities were drastically limited. She was constantly tired, dizzy, fatigued, or in pain, and her vision and cognitive abilities declined.
"My daughter has been assaulted on a systemic level," Mrs. Herlth stated. "Currently, there is no known cure, no offered hope of reversing the damage, just a series of trial treatments that have either failed her or exacerbated symptoms. It is a devastatingly helpless feeling watching my only child decline without hope of better days ahead."
Korrine had no choice but to stop attending school and the choir events she loved so much. She completed the majority of her high school classes via homebound instruction and one-on-one tutoring. With a lot of hard work and overcoming adversity on many levels, Korrine was able to graduate and walk to receive her diploma—with the help of a good friend, Max, her guide and service dog.
Before Korrine received her first Gardasil shot, Max was their pet. But after she became homebound, she was determined to learn how to train him as her personal service dog. The family hired a guide dog trainer to do such, and now Max is always at her side. Some of the tasks Max provides, include nudging her if her heart rate goes over 100. If she passes out from a seizure or drops things, he helps her, alerts others for help and retrieves dropped items.
After high school, Korrine had hopes of attending community college with an emphasis on animal science. Unfortunately, she was forced to defer her education due to her vision loss and worsening physical condition. Now at 22 years of age, Korrine's life is a shadow of what it once was before Gardasil. The main activities each day revolve around a series of never-ending doctor appointments, sometimes as many as three a day.
Her clinical diagnoses include (but are not limited to):
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
- Sinus tachycardia
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
- Autoimmune mixed connective tissue disease
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS)
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- Endometriosis
- Neurogenic bladder
- Vision loss
- Seizures
- Sleep apnea and hypoxia
Before the Covid 19 pandemic, Korrine was able to alleviate some of her pain with Ketamine infusions, which gave her relief from the burning nerve pain of the CRPS. She has not been able to receive the treatment in nearly a year due to the pandemic, and the pain in her bones, nerves, and joints is constant.
"I was a happy kid," Korrine says. "But Gardasil has made my life a living hell. The things I loved doing were ripped away from me…I just want my old life back."
Korrine's mom, Andrea, maintains that if she had known Gardasil was capable of causing the pain and suffering that her daughter has dealt with over the last several years, she never would have allowed Korrine to receive the Gardasil injections. "If I could turn back time and undo the damage inflicted on my daughter, she would now still be able to engage in activities so easily taken for granted, such as riding her bike, roller skating, or attending a concert without the threat of seizures, which is one of many devastating health issues she has been left to endure post Gardasil."
Gardasil Injury or Death Claims Must First Be Brought in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, Which Many People Are Unaware Of and Do Not Have Notice
In 2016, Andrea Herlth timely filed a petition under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program due to the severe adverse reactions her daughter sustained after receiving the Gardasil vaccine. Anyone who sustained injuries that could be caused by a vaccine must first timely file a petition in The United States Court of Federal Claims (Vaccine Court) under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) within three years from the first onset of any vaccine-related symptoms or adverse events.
Unfortunately, there are many thousands of people who do not know that Gardasil could have caused their injuries and therefore, have not filed a NVICP petition within the three-year time limit. Our firm is currently working to change this and help provide the necessary information to those who are in fact injured or who have suffered a vaccine injury from Gardasil.
"Most people have no idea that Gardasil can cause their injuries, nor do they typically find out about the connection from their health care provider, unless they are treating with a specialist," says attorney Nicole K. H. Maldonado. "It is unfair that people with very serious injuries after receiving this vaccine are in the dark about it. This is something we are actively working to change."
About Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman
Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman is one of the leading firms in the country litigating cases on behalf of people who were injured after receiving the Gardasil vaccine. They have an extensive history of successful litigation against pharmaceutical companies, including against Bayer (Monsanto) in which they obtained a $2B verdict in a 2019 Roundup cancer trial. With so much controversy surrounding vaccines these days, our firm wishes to stress that we are not against vaccines. They have the potential to eradicate disease and save millions of lives. We are, however, against intentional efforts to mislead consumers about the safety and effectiveness of a drug or vaccine. Our attorneys have always fought—and will continue to fight—for the rights of consumers to be fully and honestly informed about risks associated with any drug, vaccine, or medical device. We will work tirelessly to ensure those rights are defended and victims of injustice are compensated for their injuries.
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