Successful Defense Of Alleged Vaccination Injury

Congratulations to the IRMA and John Fassola for their successful defense of a COVID-related claim on behalf of the Village of River Forest.  More specifically, the claimant alleged a range of debilitating symptoms which she asserted had their onset from a COVID vaccination.  She retained a well-known COVID and vaccination skeptic to provide an opinion on the relatedness of the symptoms, all of which were disputed by the defense.  However, as a threshold issue, the Village maintained that her choice to obtain the vaccine, while it was administered at a Village facility, was entirely optional.  We presented witnesses to rebut claimant’s allegation that she was somehow pressured to receive the vaccine in the course of her employment.  In what we believe to be a case of first impression, the Arbitrator agreed and denied benefits.