Brachial neuritis can cause severe shoulder and arm pain followed by weakness and other nerve-related symptoms. If it begins after a tetanus-containing vaccine, the timing and medical findings may matter under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).

This guide explains how brachial neuritis appears on the Vaccine Injury Table, what medical evidence can help document it, and how an on-table claim differs from an off-table claim. Our Vaccine Act Lawyers can review your questions and explain the process in clear language.

What Is Brachial Neuritis?

Brachial neuritis, also called neuralgic amyotrophy or Parsonage-Turner syndrome, is a condition involving the brachial plexus: the network of nerves that serves the shoulder, arm, and hand. It often begins with deep, steady, sometimes severe pain in the shoulder or upper arm. Weakness may follow over the next several days or weeks. Sensory changes, including numbness, and in serious cases substantial loss of movement, can also occur.

The federal Vaccine Injury Table describes brachial neuritis as dysfunction limited to the upper-extremity nerve plexus. The affected side may be the same side as the injection or the opposite side, and symptoms can affect both arms. The condition is not established by pain alone; the Table sets out specific requirements for weakness and neurological findings.

Brachial Neuritis Is Different From SIRVA

Brachial neuritis is a nerve injury listed in the Table. SIRVA, or shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, is a musculoskeletal injury involving shoulder structures such as tendons, ligaments, or bursae. The Table describes SIRVA separately.

The distinction can matter when medical records show both shoulder pain and neurological symptoms. Weakness, sensory changes, or abnormal nerve testing may support evaluation for a nerve condition rather than a structural shoulder injury. A clinician's examination and the complete record help clarify the diagnosis.

Which Vaccines and Onset Period Are Listed?

The current Table lists brachial neuritis for vaccines containing tetanus toxoid. Its examples are DTaP, DTP, DT, Td, and TT. Tdap and combination vaccines containing tetanus toxoid may also fall within the listed vaccine category because the Table applies to vaccines containing that ingredient. The vaccine's name and formulation should be confirmed from the vaccination record.

For brachial neuritis, the Table specifies 2–28 days after vaccination, stated as “not less than 2 days and not more than 28 days.” The relevant timing is when the first symptom or manifestation of onset, or significant aggravation, occurred. The medical history should distinguish the beginning of shoulder and arm pain from the later development of weakness.

HRSA publishes the Vaccine Injury Table, and the governing regulation is 42 C.F.R. § 100.3. The Table can be amended. Please verify the current wording and applicable requirements when evaluating a claim.

What Medical Evidence Can Help Establish Table Brachial Neuritis?

The Table's “Qualifications and aids to interpretation” require more than a diagnosis label. The evidence must support the specific nerve condition, its timing, and the required clinical findings. Helpful documentation may include:

• Vaccination records showing the vaccine, administration date, and where it was given.
• Medical records that describe when shoulder or arm pain began and how symptoms progressed.
• Treating physician notes documenting weakness, sensory changes, reflex findings, and affected muscle groups.
• EMG and nerve conduction study results, when performed, showing whether the injury is localized to the brachial plexus.
• An expert medical opinion, where appropriate, that explains how the clinical findings fit the Table criteria and addresses alternative explanations.

The Table specifies that weakness must be present. If nerve conduction and EMG testing have not been done, a clinical diagnosis requires weakness in muscles supplied by more than one peripheral nerve. If weakness is limited to muscles supplied by only one peripheral nerve, the Table requires nerve conduction and EMG studies that localize the injury to the brachial plexus.

The physical examination's motor, sensory, and reflex findings, and any test results, must consistently support brachial-plexus dysfunction. The record must also address whether another condition or abnormality explains the symptoms. A focused neurological assessment can help make the medical record clearer.

How the On-Table Presumption Works

The VICP is a federal compensation program. In a typical on-table claim, a petitioner must show that the vaccine is covered, that it was administered in the United States as required by the program, and that the injury and onset meet the Vaccine Injury Table and its qualifications.

When those requirements are established, the Table provides a rebuttable presumption of causation. In practical terms, the petitioner does not have to prove vaccine causation in the same way as an off-table claimant. The Department of Health and Human Services may attempt to rebut the presumption by showing that the injury was caused by a factor unrelated to the vaccination.

The presumption does not determine every issue in a claim. Medical documentation, the full record, and other legal requirements still matter. You can read our on-table VICP claims guide and our VICP program overview for more information about the process.

What If the Vaccine or Timing Does Not Match the Table?

A brachial neuritis claim may not qualify for the on-table path if it follows a vaccine that is not covered by this Table listing, or if the first qualifying symptom occurred outside the 2–28-day period. That does not automatically answer whether a claim can be pursued. An off-table claim may be possible, but it requires a different showing.

Under the Althen framework, a petitioner generally must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence:

1. A medical theory connecting the vaccine and the injury.
2. A logical sequence of cause and effect showing that the vaccine actually caused the injury in the particular case.
3. A proximate temporal relationship between vaccination and onset.

This route usually calls for a careful review of medical records and may involve a qualified medical expert. Our Vaccine Act Lawyers can explain the difference between the on-table and off-table paths and help you understand what information may be relevant to your circumstances.

Filing Deadline, Court, and Potential Compensation

For most VICP injury petitions, the statute of limitations is three years from the first symptom or manifestation of onset, or significant aggravation. It is not necessarily three years from the vaccination date. The timing rules can be fact-specific, so it is important to review dates with care.

VICP petitions are filed with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and handled by its Office of Special Masters. The Court's website provides information about vaccine claims. The HRSA VICP website also explains the program.

A Table match is not the only eligibility requirement. The VICP generally requires that the injury have lasted more than six months, resulted in inpatient hospitalization and surgical intervention, or resulted in death. The applicable facts and requirements should be reviewed individually.

Depending on the claim and applicable rules, VICP compensation may include unreimbursed medical and rehabilitation expenses, lost earnings, and compensation for pain and suffering. No category of compensation or result is guaranteed.

How Our Vaccine Act Lawyers Can Help

Preparing a claim while managing a serious medical condition can feel difficult. Our Vaccine Act Lawyers at Braden Blumenstiel Legal Advocates Group will listen, review the details you provide, and explain the legal requirements in language you can follow. We work hard to provide professional, respectful guidance tailored to your questions.

If you received a tetanus-containing vaccine and later developed symptoms that may involve brachial neuritis, you are invited to contact us to request a free consultation. Please provide the vaccination date, the date your shoulder or arm pain began, when weakness appeared, and any available medical or testing records. We can discuss what to consider next; eligibility and compensation depend on the facts and applicable law.

For more information, call us at 614-508-1677 and 888-343-9796. Our Vaccine Act Lawyers are happy to discuss your questions at your convenience.