Products Liability
The Gardasil HPV vaccine was developed by Merck & Co. Millions of adolescent girls received the Gardasil vaccine due to an aggressive marketing campaign by Merck which vastly overstated the benefits and minimized the risks of Gardasil. New evidence is now emerging which shows that Gardasil is causing serious autoimmune reactions, resulting in major injuries.
The evidence regarding the true risks and benefits of Gardasil has sparked a growing number of Gardasil HPV vaccine lawsuits. These lawsuits are being filed by women who received an unnecessary vaccine that caused serious injuries as a result of autoimmune reactions.
The Gardasil HPV vaccine lawsuits have already been consolidated into a class action MDL, which could eventually be resolved in a global settlement. On this page, our attorneys provide our best estimate for the potential settlement value of these Gardasil vaccine lawsuits.
About the Gardasil HPV Vaccine
Gardasil is a vaccine used for the prevention of certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a very common type of virus. Over 60% of the adult population in the U.S. will have HPV at some point in their life. Most of the time, HPV is entirely harmless. However, a small percentage of HPV cases in women can sometimes develop into cervical cancer.
Gardasil was developed by Merck and first released in 2006. It was supposed to help prevent cervical cancer, by preventing the HPV infections that can potentially lead to cervical cancer. Merck was determined to make the Gardasil vaccine a financial success, so it invested heavily in an aggressive marketing campaign designed to stimulate demand and create a market for the HPV vaccine.
Merck’s marketing efforts began with a “disease awareness” campaign which basically focused on exaggerating the real health risks of HPV. Merck then pushed Gardasil as a safe and effective vaccine to help prevent HPV. Unfortunately, Merck misrepresented the benefits and effectiveness of the vaccine. New evidence has recently emerged which suggests that Gardasil may actually increase the risk of cervical cancer, not reduce it.
Merck also misrepresented and minimized the risks associated with the Gardasil vaccine. Since Gardasil was released, medical evidence has revealed that the vaccine has a much higher risk of side effects and adverse reactions than initially disclosed. In fact, Gardasil triggers an autoimmune system response in many cases. This autoimmune response can result in serious injuries, including:
- “POTS” postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
- Premature Ovarian Failure (Premature Menopause)
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
Gardasil Class Action Lawsuit
The first Gardasil vaccine lawsuits began getting filed in 2019, after evidence emerged showing that the vaccine was causing serious injuries. In 2022, the volume of Gardasil lawsuits increased significantly. In September 2022, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated the Gardasil lawsuits into a new class action MDL (In re: Gardasil Prod. Liab. Lit., MDL No. 3036) in the Western District of North Carolina.
As of December 15, 2022, there were 2022 Gardasil lawsuits pending in the MDL. The MDL is expected to adopt a joint bellwether test trial plan under which the first Gardasil trial could potentially happen near the end of 2024. There are also a large number of cases pending in state courts, but they have not been consolidated.
Potential Settlement Value of Gardasil Lawsuits
The Gardasil vaccine lawsuits are new and based on untested causation evidence. This means that any estimate regarding their eventual settlement value is inherently speculative. As always, our settlement value estimates are based on a number of key assumptions. The most significant assumption in this context is that the scientific evidence will hold up in court. The settlement values below are categorized based on injury type.
Settlement Value of Premature Ovarian Failure Cases
Premature ovarian failure is the most serious injury associated with adverse reactions to the Gardasil HPV vaccine. Premature ovarian failure can cause infertility because the ovaries stop producing eggs. The loss of fertility in a young woman is a devastating injury so these are obviously going to be the Gardasil cases with the highest potential settlement value.
Our lawyers estimate that a successful Gardasil lawsuit involving premature ovarian failure could have a potential settlement value range of $400,000 to $1,000,000. The only reason this value estimate is not higher is that the causation evidence is new and not very well developed.
Settlement Value of POTS Cases
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is one of the most common injuries associated with the Gardasil HPV vaccine. People with POTS experience abnormal heart rates and dizziness when they go from lying down to standing up. There is no cure, and it can cause long-term health complications.
Our attorneys estimate that successful Gardasil lawsuits in which the primary injury is POTS could have a settlement value of $75,000 to $200,000. POTS is the Gardasil injury with the strongest causation evidence, but it is not a very serious condition.
Settlement Value of Premature Menopause Cases
Premature menopause is another autoimmune condition that can be triggered by the Gardasil vaccine. Premature menopause occurs when the physical symptoms of menopause occur abnormally early. Menopause symptoms that occur prior to age 40 is considered early menopause. It happens when the ovaries start to produce less estrogen and stop releasing eggs.
Our lawyers believe that Gardasil lawsuits involving premature menopause as the primary injury could have a settlement value between $75,0000 and $1,000,000. The reason this range is so wide is because these cases could present drastically different circumstances depending on the age of the plaintiff and whether it results in permanent infertility.
Settlement Value of Guillain-Barre Syndrome Cases
Guillain-Barre syndrome is another injury associated with autoimmune system reactions to the Gardasil HPV vaccine. Guillian-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a condition in which the immune system targets the nerves inside the body. It can cause weakness and even partial paralysis in the muscles. In severe cases, GBS can cause total paralysis.
We estimate that Gardasil lawsuits involving GBS as the primary injury will have a settlement value of $90,000 to $400,000. The value range is very broad because individual cases of GBS can range significantly in severity. While most cases of GBS may just cause weakness and tingling, others can cause total paralysis.
Settlement Value of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy Cases
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), is a condition in which the immune system attacks the myelin inside the body. Myelin is a fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the body. CDIP is very similar to Guillian-Barre syndrome, except that CDIP is a chronic, long-term disease that progresses over time, whereas GBS tends to be short-term.
Gardasil lawsuits involving CDIP as the primary injury could have a settlement value of $150,000 to $500,000. This valuation is based primarily on the fact that CDIP is a long-term version of GBS.
Contact Us About a HPV Vaccine Lawsuit
If you believe you developed an autoimmune disorder or other health condition from a Gardasil HPV vaccine, you should consider bringing a Gardasil lawsuit to get a verdict or fair settlement amount for the harm that has been done to you. Call a Gardasil lawyer today for a free consultation at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.