Teen awarded $8.5 million in vaccine case

[shawn703]

A St. Louis jury awarded a teen $8.5 million late Thursday for injuries he said were linked to a polio vaccination 18 years ago.

The lawsuit alleged that Cortez Strong, 18, contracted polio after he received an oral vaccine as an infant. Lawyers for Strong, who lives near Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, say he has limited use of his left arm and right hand.

Strong sued American Cyanamid Co., maker of the vaccine, and Dr. Georgia Santo-Jawaid, his former pediatrician in 1999. She formerly worked with a doctors’ group in the 3900 block of South Grand Boulevard, where Strong received the second dose of medicine when he was four months old.

Jurors gave Strong the full $8.5 million he asked for -- $1.5 million for past pain and suffering, $2 million for future missed earnings and $5 million for future pain. Strong, who currently works as a courtesy clerk at a Shop ‘n Save in Maplewood, turned down $50,000 from a vaccine compensation fund in order to sue, said one of his lawyers, Thomas Germeroth.



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[Senior citizen]

1. It will be reversed, or reduced to $1 on appeal.

That's why the pukes need all those crappy judges on the appellate courts. The kid hasn't got a chance.

Juries and lower courts often reward plaintiffs who have been harmed by corporations. Judges like Priscilla Owen make sure such verdicts get overturned or awards reduced to token sums. In a case like this if there's a lot of publicity, he might get as much as $10,000, but most of it would go to the lawyers.