Award amounts
Live · 12,052 cases in database · latest filing 2026-03-05
Of the 9,219 compensated VICP cases with disclosed award amounts, the median compensation is $80K and the mean is $130K. The 95th percentile is $360K; the largest single award is $5.8M. The histogram below shows the distribution of awards across logarithmic bins, and the table lists the ten largest awards on record.
Award amounts vary based on the severity and lifelong impact of the injury. Most awards include both a damages component (pain and suffering, lost earnings) and ongoing-care funding for severe cases (annuities, life-care plans).
Median award
$80K
half of awards are smaller, half larger
Mean award
$130K
arithmetic average
95th percentile
$360K
top 5% of awards
Total paid
$1.19B
aggregate compensation
Award size distribution
Compensated cases only (9,219 cases). Bins are logarithmic.
Top 10 largest awards
| Case | Vaccine | Condition | Decided | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Peters v. HHS | Influenza | transverse myelitis and/or neuromyelitis optica | 2020 | $5.8M |
| A.E. v. HHS | DTaP | celiac disease | 2017 | $4.8M |
| L.C. v. HHS | unclear | quadriplegia secondary to transverse myelitis | 2020 | $4.3M |
| Julian Henley v. HHS | Hepatitis B | pemphigus vulgaris | 2025 | $3.8M |
| A.E. v. HHS | MMR | acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) | 2025 | $3.1M |
| Z.I. v. HHS | Influenza | acute disseminated encephalomyelitis | 2017 | $3.0M |
| J.T. v. HHS | Tdap | left brachial neuritis | 2017 | $3.0M |
| Madsen v. HHS | Influenza | Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) | 2016 | $3.0M |
| Montez Petronelli v. HHS | Influenza | Guillain-Barré Syndrome | 2016 | $3.0M |
| H.H. v. HHS | DTaP | Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS) or AGS-like type I interfer | 2025 | $2.9M |
Frequently asked questions about the VICP
General questions about the U.S. Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
What is the VICP?
The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal no-fault compensation program for individuals who allege injury from vaccines listed on the Vaccine Injury Table. It was established by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and is administered jointly by HHS, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Petitions are decided by Special Masters in lieu of traditional civil litigation.
What is the Althen test?
Althen v. HHS, 418 F.3d 1274 (Fed. Cir. 2005) is the controlling precedent for off-Table causation in the VICP. To prevail on a non-Table claim a petitioner must show: (1) a medical theory causally connecting the vaccination and the injury; (2) a logical sequence of cause and effect showing the vaccination was the reason for the injury; and (3) a proximate temporal relationship between the vaccination and the injury.
What is the average VICP award?
The median compensation award in VICP is approximately $80,000; the mean is approximately $130,000 because of a long right-tail of catastrophic-injury and death-of-petitioner cases that compensate in the millions. As of the most recent corpus refresh, the program has paid approximately $1.19 billion to 9,200+ compensated petitioners.
How long does a VICP case take?
Median time from filing to final judgment in the VICP is approximately 21 months; mean is approximately 26 months. Compensated cases tend to resolve faster than denied or dismissed cases, because contested off-Table causation petitions require multi-round expert witness testimony.
Who decides VICP cases?
Special Masters of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Office of Special Masters, decide VICP petitions. There are approximately 8 active Special Masters at any given time, including a Chief Special Master who manages the docket. Decisions can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (judges) and from there to the Federal Circuit.