In the United States Court of Federal Claims 

OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS

No. 17-1356V

Filed: February 22, 2019

UNPUBLISHED

NICKOL MARTA,

 Petitioner,

v.

SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES,

 Respondent.

Special Processing Unit (SPU); Joint 

Stipulation on Damages; Influenza 

(Flu) Vaccine; Shoulder Injury 

Related to Vaccine Administration 

(SIRVA)

Leah VaSahnja Durant, Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, Washington, DC, for 

petitioner.

Ryan Daniel Pyles, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

DECISION ON JOINT STIPULATION1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

On September 27, 2017, petitioner filed a petition for compensation under the 

National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, 42 U.S.C. §300aa-10, et seq.,

2 (the 

“Vaccine Act”). Petitioner alleges that she suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine 

administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of her September 22, 2015 influenza (“flu”) 

vaccination. Petition at 1; Stipulation, filed February 22, 2019, at ¶¶ 4. Petitioner further 

alleges that she experienced residual effects of this injury for more than six months and 

that there has been no prior award or settlement of a civil action for damages as a result 

of her condition. Petition at 3-4; Stipulation at ¶¶ 4-5. “Respondent denies that the flu 

immunization is the cause of petitioner’s alleged SIRVA and/or any other injury. ”

Stipulation at ¶ 6. 

 1 The undersigned intends to post this decision on the United States Court of Federal Claims' website. 

This means the decision will be available to anyone with access to the internet. In accordance with 

Vaccine Rule 18(b), petitioner has 14 days to identify and move to redact medical or other information, 

the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy. If, upon review, the 

undersigned agrees that the identified material fits within this definition, the undersigned will redact such 

material from public access. Because this unpublished decision contains a reasoned explanation for the 

action in this case, undersigned is required to post it on the United States Court of Federal Claims' 

website in accordance with the E-Government Act of 2002. 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2012) (Federal 

Management and Promotion of Electronic Government Services).

2 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-660, 100 Stat. 3755. Hereinafter, for 

ease of citation, all “§” references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. § 

300aa (2012).
2

Nevertheless, on February 22, 2019, the parties filed the attached joint 

stipulation, stating that a decision should be entered awarding compensation. The 

undersigned finds the stipulation reasonable and adopts it as the decision of the Court 

in awarding damages, on the terms set forth therein.

Pursuant to the terms stated in the attached Stipulation, the undersigned

awards the following compensation:

A lump sum of $80,000.00 in the form of a check payable to petitioner. 

Stipulation at ¶ 8. This amount represents compensation for all items of 

damages that would be available under § 15(a). Id. 

The undersigned approves the requested amount for petitioner’s compensation. 

In the absence of a motion for review filed pursuant to RCFC Appendix B, the clerk of 

the court is directed to enter judgment in accordance with this decision.3

IT IS SO ORDERED.

s/Nora Beth Dorsey

Nora Beth Dorsey

Chief Special Master

 3 Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), entry of judgment can be expedited by the parties’ joint filing of notice 

renouncing the right to seek review.