Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., chairman and chief legal counsel of Children’s Health Defense, filed their 26th lawsuit against Merck, alleging the drugmaker fraudulently concealed the risks of its Gardasil human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, depriving parents and children of their right to informed consent.
Baum Hedlund and Kennedy filed the complaint (case no. 22STCV24209) July 27 in California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles, on behalf of Victoria Trevisan, a Los Angeles area woman, who developed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and a myriad of other debilitating injuries after receiving the vaccine.
Victoria Trevisan was 13 years old when she received the Gardasil HPV vaccine. Prior to then, Trevisan was a straight-A student-athlete who participated in ice skating and competitive club soccer.
She had dreams of one day earning a soccer scholarship to play in college while studying forensics.
On the day she received her third Gardasil shot, Trevisan fainted and hit her head on the window in the examination room at her doctor’s office.
Over the next few months, she made multiple trips to doctors’ offices to treat a growing list of symptoms, including anxiety, body pains, brain fog, cognitive impairment, depression, frequent headaches, hives, insomnia and lightheadedness.
Trevisan’s post-Gardasil symptoms kept her from engaging in normal activities that teens and young adults enjoy.
She dropped out of high school and completed her schooling at home. Her ever-present fatigue and debilitating symptoms forced her to give up her dream of working in the medical field.
Now 20 years old, Trevisan cannot work a normal job and relies on her parents for financial support.
Doctors diagnosed Trevisan with the following health issues:
- Chronic fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Generalized anxiety
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Major depressive disorder
- Mast cell activation syndrome
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
- Ulcerative colitis
Trevisan, who has all her childhood shots, said she never would have consented to the Gardasil HPV vaccine had she known of the potential severe side effects associated with the product.
She is pursuing a claim against Merck because she wants other people to learn from her experiences and be better informed on the risks.
“I just want people to know that this happened to me, and it can happen to anyone,” Trevisan said.
“It is important for me to share my story to help make sure others understand that there are risks,” she said. “There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by since I received the Gardasil vaccine that it hasn’t affected me. I don’t want this pain for other kids.”
According to the complaint, Merck recommends the vaccine for children aged 11 to 12 “to provide protection against a disease [cervical cancer] that, in the United States, is not generally diagnosed until a median age of 50. Moreover, in those rare instances of death, the median age is 58.”
The complaint also alleges there are no studies proving Gardasil prevents cancer, as Merck implies in its advertising.
Trevisan’s case is the 26th lawsuit that Baum Hedlund and Kennedy have filed against Merck for allegedly knowingly concealing the adverse events associated with its Gardasil vaccine.
Some others include:
- Merrick Brunker (California)
- Emma Sullivan (New Jersey)
- Ashley Dalton (Michigan)
- Hayden Shain (California)
- Abby Stratton (South Carolina)
- Savannah Flores (Nevada)
- Korrine Herlth (Connecticut)
- Kayla Carrillo (California)
- Michael Colbath (California)
- Sahara Walker (Wisconsin)
- Zachariah Otto (Colorado)
- Julia Balasco (Rhode Island)
Merrick Brunker was a “happy, healthy” 18-year-old before he received Merck’s Gardasil HPV vaccine. Now, he’s no longer physically active, cannot participate in sports and other activities, no longer attends school and has had trouble finding work.https://t.co/YY8EGfBXpn
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) March 12, 2022
While each client has a unique story, they all agree if Merck had told the truth about the known dangers associated with Gardasil, they never would have consented to the HPV vaccine.
If you or your child suffered harm after receiving the Gardasil HPV vaccine, you may have a legal claim. Visit Baum Hedlund Law for a free case evaluation or call 855-948-5098.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Children’s Health Defense.
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