Time to decision
Live · 12,052 cases in database · latest filing 2026-03-05
Of 11,751 VICP cases with both a filing date and a decision date, the median time from filing to decision is 21 months (640 days); the mean is 26 months. The chart below shows the distribution of case durations.
Median time has dropped substantially over the program's history. In the early 1990s, cases routinely took 5+ years to resolve. The Special Masters now resolve a typical Table claim in 12–18 months and most off-Table Althen claims in 2–3 years. Cases that go to full hearing on contested causation can still take 4+ years.
Median duration
21 mo
640 days
Mean duration
26 mo
776 days
Cases analyzed
11,751
with both filing & decision dates
Distribution of case durations
11,751 cases · filing date → decision date.
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.