In the United States Court of Federal Claims 

OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS

No. 20-1317V

UNPUBLISHED

LISA HRICA,

 Petitioner,

v.

SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES,

 Respondent.

Chief Special Master Corcoran 

Filed: June 6, 2022

Special Processing Unit (SPU); 

Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;

Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;

Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine 

Administration (SIRVA)

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

Petitioner.

Sarah Black Rifkin, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

On October 5, 2020, Lisa Hrica 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), resulting from adverse effects of an influenza (flu) vaccination 

she received on October 5, 2017. Petition at 1. Petitioner further alleges that the 

vaccination was administered within the United States, her pain lasted longer than six 

months, and neither she, nor any other party, has ever received compensation in the form 

of an award or settlement for Petitioner’s vaccine-related injury. Petition at 1, 5. The case 

was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

1 Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required 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). This means the Ruling 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, I agree that 

the identified material fits within this definition, I will redact such material from public access. 

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

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

300aa (2012).
2

On May 11, 2022, Respondent filed his Rule 4(c) report in which he concedes that 

Petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule 4(c) Report at 1.

Respondent determined that “[P]etitioner’s alleged injury is consistent with SIRVA as 

defined by the Vaccine Injury Table.” Id. at 10-11. Specifically, Respondent determined 

that “[P]etitioner had no history of pain, inflammation, or dysfunction of her left shoulder 

prior to the subject vaccination; pain occurred within forty-eight hours of the subject 

vaccination; pain was limited to the shoulder in which the vaccine was administered; and 

no other condition or abnormality has been identified to explain petitioner’s shoulder pain.”

Id. at 11. Respondent further agrees that Petitioner suffered the residual effects of her 

condition for more than six months, satisfying the Act’s severity requirement and that 

scope of damages to be awarded is limited to petitioner’s SIRVA and its related sequelae 

only. Id.

In view of Respondent’s position and the evidence of record, I find that 

Petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

s/Brian H. Corcoran

Brian H. Corcoran

Chief Special Master