### 1 

# In the United **States Court of Federal**  **Claims**

OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS

No. 15

- 92V

Filed: N ovember 17, 2015

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * UNPUBLISHED

LAURIE DART, *

* Special Master Gowen

Petitioner, *

* Joint Stipulation on Damages and

v. * Attorneys’ Fees and Costs

* Influenza (“Flu”) Vaccine;

SECRETARY OF HEALTH * Transverse Myelitis.

AND HUMAN SERVICES, *

*

Respondent. *

*

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Diana Stadelnikas Sedar

, Maglio, Christopher & Toale, PA, Sarasota, FL, for petitioner.

Adriana R. Teitel

, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

DECISION ON JOINT STIPULATION 1



## On January 30, 2015, Laurie Dart (“ petitioner ”) filed a petition pursuant to the National

Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. 2 

## 42 U.S.C. §§ 300aa

- 1 to

- 34 (2012). Petitioner alleged

that as a result of receiving an i nfluenza (“ f lu”) vaccine on October 17, 2013, she developed

transverse myelitis (“ TM ”)

. Stipulation for Award at ¶ 2, 4, docket no. 16, filed Nov. 12, 2015.

Further, petitioner alleged that she experienced residual effects of her injury for more than six

months. Id. at ¶ 4.

1 

## Because this decision contains a reasoned explanation for the undersigned’s action in this case,

the undersigned intends to post this ruling on the website of the United States Court of Federal

Claims, in accordance with the E

- Government Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107

- 347, § 205, 116 Stat.

2899, 2913 (codified as amended at 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2012)). As provided by Vaccine Rule

18(b), each party has 14 days within which to request redaction “of any information furnished by

that party: (1) that is a trade secret or commercial or financial in substance and is privileged or

confidential; or (2) that includes medical files or similar files, the disclosure of which would

constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy.” Vaccine Rule 18(b).

2 

## The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is set forth in Part 2 of the National

Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99

- 660, 100 Stat. 3755, codified as amended,

42 U.S.C. §§ 300aa

- 1 to

- 34 (2012) (Vaccine Act or the Act). All citations in this decision to

individual sections of the Vaccine Act are to 42 U.S.C.A. § 300aa.

### 2 

## On November 12, 2015, the parties filed a stipulation in which they state that a decision

should be entered awarding compensation. Respondent denies that the flu vaccination caused

petitioner’s TM or any other injury or condition. Id. at ¶ 6. Nevertheless, the parties agree to the

joint stipulation, attached hereto as Appendix A. The undersigned finds the stipulation reasonable

and adopts it as the decision of the Court in awarding damages, on the terms set forth therein.

The parties also stipulate to an award of attorneys’ fees and costs in a joint stipulation filed

on November 16, 2015. The parties agree to a total award of attorneys’ fees and costs in the amount

of $11,500.00. Stipulation for Fees at ¶ 5, docket no. 17, filed Nov. 16, 2015. In accordance with

General Order #9, petitioner represents that she did not personally incur costs related to this

proceeding. Declaration, docket no. 18, filed Nov. 16, 2015. The undersigned finds the stipulation

for fees and costs reasonable and adopts it as the decision of the Court.

The parties stipulate that petitioner shall receive the following compensation:

1) A lump sum of $90,000.00, in the form of a check payable to petitioner, Laurie

Dart. This amount represents compensation for all damages that would be

available under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa

- 15(a).

2) A lump sum of $11,500.00, in the form of a check jointly payable to petitioner and

to petitioner’s attorney, Diana Stadelnikas Sedar of Maglio, Christopher & Toale,

PA, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 300 aa

- 15(e), for attorneys’ fees and costs.

Id. at ¶ 8.

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

attorneys’ fees and costs. Accordingly, t he clerk of the court SHALL ENTER JUDGMENT in

accordance with the terms of the parties’ stipulation. 3



## IT IS SO ORDERED.

s/ Thomas L. Gowen

Thomas L. Gowen

Special Master

3 

## Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), entry of judgment is expedited by the parties’ joint filing of

notice renouncing the right to seek review.

### I N THE 

### UNITED STATES 

### COURT OF FED E RA L 

### CLAI MS

OFFICE OF SPECI A L M ASTERS

No. I 5

- 92 \ f

Spcciu l M uster Gowen

ECr:

S T I P ULAT I ON



### The parties here by sl i pu luk lll the following mnller s:



### I

. P c l il ioncr Laurie 

### D a rt (''petitioner") 

### filed a pclition f o ' r \ 'accinc compensation un d e r

the Nutionnl Vac c ine I njury C o m pcnsutio n Prngr: i m, 42 U

. S

. C. § 300u: i

- 1 0 l o 34 ( t he "Va c cine

Progrnm''). The pclili o n seeks e o mpcn su tiun for inj uries n llcg cd l y rcl nt cd lo p c tili o n c r's rece i p t

u f' un i n n ucn ; w vaccine ( " flu " ), w hid1 vac c ine is conlu im : d in ! he Vnccinc I nju r y Tab l e ( t he

''Tnb l c " ), 42 C.f

- '

. R

. I 00.3 { a).



### 2. Pet itioner received he r 

# n u i mmun i z ati on 

### o n Octobc r 

### 1 7, 20 1 3.

3. The vnccinc wus adm i ni s te red wi t hin lhl! Uni t ed Sl ates

.

4. Petilioncr ul l cgcs th at s h <: sustn i nc d a vact:inc

- rel:itcd injury diu g n osc d a s tnmsvcrsc

myel i tis ("TM") thm was cnuscd

- in

- fo cl by th e 

# n u vacc in e. She f'urlh er all e ges t hat s h e

experienced the n.:siduu l effects o f h e r in j ury for m ore t hun six months

5. Pet iti on er r e p re s ents that there hus been 110 prior uward or sett lcm c.:lll o r n civi l ac ti on

for dn mng c:; :.is a r es u lt of" hcr condilinn.

LA U R I E DA RT,

l'clit iu m : r

,

v.

SECR ETA RY OF HEA LTH A ND

H UM AN SERVICES

,

Respondent.6. Re spon de11l denies Lhnl p cli linn l!r's a lle ged Ttvl nnd res idua l effect s were cu u st:c.l

- i n

foci by Lhe Ou v a cci 11 e. Rcspo11dc11 1 further dt: n ics lllUL lht: nu vuct.:ine ca used petitioner any

other i njury or her cu1

- rc11 l cundit io11.

7. Maintaining the i r nb uv l'

- slutcd posit i on s

, t he part i es ncv · r th c lc ss now agree tha t th e

issu e s between them shull be s e tt led uml thnl a decision should b e l : n l ercd award i n g the

co111pcnsn t ion de s cri be d i n p urngrn p h 8 of thi s SLipulu t i o n

.

8. As soon us pract i cu b lc ar tcr an entry o l' j 11dgmc 11 t rcllect in g a dec is i on consistent with

the t erms of' this Sti pu la tion

, anti al'll! r p c1i1io11cr ha s filed 1111 ch.:c1io11 t o rt:c cive compcnsntiun

p u r sua m l o 42 U

. S. C

. § JOOau

- 21(n)( I )

. the Secrclnry ol' Health nnd H u mun Services will issu e

lhe fo l lowing vacc in e c omp cn sut i on puymcnl:

A lump sum o f S90

, 0 0 0

. UO i n thc f o rm or n c he c k p

, 1y u n l c t o pet itioner. Th i s

amount re p resen ts com pe n s a t i o n for : ill damngcs t h ; ll w ou ld be avuilubl l! un d e r 4 2

U.S.C. § 

### 300ua

- l 5 ( a).

9. / \ s soon as praclicn blc a rtcr tin : e ntry of j udg111c111 on cnt ill c: rnent in thi s case, and afte r

p c t i r i o ner hns l i ll!d bo th a prop er nnc..l t imo.: l y clect iun t o r ece iv e em n pensa ti o n pursuant t o 4 2

U .S. C

. § JOO:in

- 2 l (n)( I ), und an a p pl icatiu11, t h e par ties will s ubm it l o l' urthcr proceeding s bcl' or e

the s p cc i nl mas te r 1 0 awa rd rcasonnblc allorneys' l'ccs a n d cos t s in °; 11rrcd in rroceecli ng upon this

p et it ion

.

I 0

. Pet iti on er and her nll o rnc y rcpn .:senl th n t they have idcmifi o.: d t o rc s romknl a l l

kno wn sou rce s or payment for i1ems o r se rvices for w hk h t he Program i s no t p rimari ly l iabl e

und e r · 12 U

. S.C. § 300a a

- 1 5(g), incl ud ing S t utc c o m pcnsali o n progra m s

. insurnncc p olicies,

Fed c r :.il or Stn l e hea l t h benelils program s ( o t h e r thun T i tle XI X of ' the Soci a l Secu r i t y 1 \ cl (4::!

U. S .C. § 1 3% ct seq .))

. or e ntit i e s tha l pro vi de ho.:n l th se r vi ces on a rrc

- paid basis

.1 1

. l'aymc11ls rnaclc pursuan l lo paragra ph 8 and any nrnoun t s u wurdcd pursuant t o

puragruph IJ of this S ti pu la t i on will he m a de i n nccordnn cc wi t h 4 2 U.S.C. § 300au

- l 5 ( i), subjec t

to the nvniln b ility of sufficie nt statutory r 11 11 ds.

1 2. The p arti es a nd t he i r allomcys furth er ng r cc and st i pu ln t c lhnt, ex cept for an y uwun .J

for anom eys' te es and l itigati on rns l s and past u nr ci mbu rsa blc c:

- : p nsc:s, th e mone y provided

p ur suant t o this St i pula t ion will be used solely for t hL

· bene f i t of pe i .itio ncr as rnntcmplntcd by u

st r ict co n struc t ion o f 42 U.S.C. § 300aa

- J 5( a J and (d)

, nnd s ub jec t 1.0 t he co11cli t io ns uf 42 U.S.C

.

§ 300:.ia

- I S(g) and ( h ).

I 3. I n r et urn for the paymen t s dcs1.:ri bcd i11 paragraphs 8 nnd 9

. petit ioner, in her

in dividual capa ci ty, and o n bu hut r ul'her he i rs, executors, ndministrntors, s uc cessors or ussigns

.

d o c s f o r e ver i rrc \ 'ocnbly and u11co11cJi t i o n ally rc k nse, ncquit nnd d i : ;c l

rnrgc the Un i t ed States and

th e Secreta ry of l lcu lth a n d Human Scrv i ccs from uny and a ll act ions or causus of ac ti on

(inc ludin g agrccmenls, judgments, dai ms

, da111ngcs, l oss of scrv i c s, ex p enses an d all demands

u r w h ntcvc r k i n d or nn w rc) that h nvc bee n brought, could huvc been b ro ught, ur could be timel y

bro u g ht i n the Cou rt o r f edera l C l aims, u m kr t he Nn t ion ul Vacc in e In jury Compensa t ion

Program, : 1 2 U

. S .C. § 300 : .ia

- IO ct s e q

.. Oil account of, or i n any way growi ng out of '

, any n n d all

known or unknown, susp e ct e d or unsuspe c ted p e r s o na l i n juri es to Dr

, ! c u th or petitioner resu lti n g

l' ro m

, or allege d t o ha ve resulted fro m, t h e llu vacc i n nt i o n adminis t ered Oil Oc t ob er 1 7, 201 3. ns

n l l egcd by pet i t i o n er in u pctitiun for v m : c i nc com pcnsation fi l ed on Janua ry 3 0

, 20 1 5, i n the

U n it l

· d S t at e s Court o f f edera l C la i ms as pet it i on No. 1 5

- 9'.!V.

( 1 1. I f p etiti o n er sh o uld die prior t o ent r y of'judgmclll

, t his ag 1 cement sh a ll bc void ublc

upon proper n ut ii.:e t o th e Cou r t U ll bclwl r 

# or ei t h er o r both 

# or th e pMt ics

.

# . 15. I r the speci al master foils to issue u <ltcisiun in comple1 conformi ty wi1h the t e rms

o!" lhis Stipulation or if lhc Court orl.

- e<lcrnl Cl ui m s foi ls 1 u cn l cr judg 1 m:n1 in co nf'ormi1 y w i t h a

dccisio n lh : 11 is in comple1 e conformity w i th the t erms ol"t his St i pu : niion. then the rort ics'

scl l lcm c nt a n d 1his St i pu l a1io11 s h a ll be 1 ' o iclublc at the sole dis<.:n.:liun o l° eith e r party.

16. This St i pul ation expresses n l'ull and complclc ncgoli1111:d sc:nlc ment of l inhilit y and

c..lamuge s claimed u nder t he Notional Childhood Vnccim : I njury J \ cl 

# o r 1 986, as amende d

, cxccrt

a s ulhcrwise noted i n pa r agraph 9 ub ove. There is absolu l el y no ngrccmcnl on lhc pan o f t he

punics hereto to make 

### ;iny payment or to do any ncl ur thi ng o th er lhnn is herein e x pressly stated

und dearly agrced to. The parties fu r ther agree und unctcrsland tha t t hl : aw:ml 

### ckscri b ed i n this

Stipulutiun muy reflect rs compromise ol' thc parties' respective pusil ions u s to l iobil i 1 y and / or

'1111Ullllt or d111nacs, and further

, thut n ch: 111gc i n the nature ur lhe i nju r y o r condition or in the

i tems ol" compcnsntion so u g ht, is n ot grounds t o m o dil"y or n.:visc this r.grecmcnt.

17. This St i p ulmi on shnll 1101 

### be co11struccl ;is an admiss i on by 

### the United Slulc s nr t h e

Se<.:rctnry or 1

- ll'lllth nnd H ll111:11l 

### Services tha t the 

## n u vaccination C(1l1SCU 

### pcl i l i onc r lo 

### uffc r TM

or any othe r injury.

I R. All right s a m ! o b l ig : 11io11s or petit io ner hereund er shall upply equall y to r n::ti1i o ncr' s

heirs, exec ut ors, admi n istrutors. successors, u nd /o r ussigns.

END OF STI PU LATION

I

I

I

# (

, , ,

L Respectfully su!Jm i llcd,

PETIT I ONER ' /

· · 

# LA i2

- W

ATTORNEY OF HE C ORD FOR



### P E TITI O N E R : AUTHORIZED l

. U!:PRES E NTAT I VE

O FT H E AT T ORNEY GENERAL:

MAGL IO, C1m1STOl'l lER & TO

, \ LE, PA Deputy Director

1 605 fain Stree t

, S u i te 7 1 0

Suraso ln

, FL 34236

(941) 952

- 5242

AUTHORIZED 

### R E PR ES E N T AT I VE

OF T HE SEC RET R'i OF HEALTH Torts 

### 13ram:h

Civil D ivisio n

U .S. Dcpn rlm 1 nt 

### llf .l u 5l i ce

P.O. Box 1 46

Bc11jumi n Frankl i n Sta t ion

Washin g t on, D C 20044

- 0146

ATTORNEY OF RECOR D FOR

RESPONDET:

AND 

### H I 

# ) l

_ ] SU 

### RVI C S :



# _ , di

A. MELISSA H t lJS T ON, M.D., M.11.H, FAt \ P

Director, Div i sion uf'

I njury Compensat i on P rograms



### 1 l culthca rc Systems 

### Bu rea u

U.S. D cp ar1m e n1 of Health



### and H uman Services

5600 Fishe r s Lane

Pa r k l uw n J3 ui l c1 in g, Mai l S t op 1 1 C

- 26

Ro c kvil l e, MD 20857 1 \ DR l / \ NA T E l' i

Trial t\ llorney

Torts Branch

Ci vil Divis i on

U.S. Dcpu r \ me111. of Ju st i ce

P .O. Dox 1 46



### Bcnjamin r1a11k l i11 St a t ion



### Wush inglon

. DC' 200:. \ 4

- 0 

### I 4G

(202) 6 J 6

- 3 < i77

## IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS

OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL MASTERS

LAURIE DART,

Petitioner,

vs. CASE NO. 15

- 92V

Special Master Gowen

SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN

SERVICES,

Respondent.

/

STIPULATION OF ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS

1. Diana L. Stadelnikas

- Sedar is counsel for Petitioner in this case.

2. Petitioner submitted a draft Application for Attorneys’ Fees and Costs to

Respondent’s counsel.

3. During informal discussions, Respondent raised objections to certain items in

Petitioner’s draft application. Based on these discussions, Petitioners amended the

Application for Attorneys’ Fees and Costs to request reimbursement in the amount of

$11,500.00. Respondent does not object.

4. Pursuant to General Order #9, Petitioner has not incurred any costs in pursuit of the

claim.

5. The parties now request that a decision awarding the final attorneys’ fees and costs in

the amount of $11,500.00, payable to Petitioner and Petitioner’s counsel, Diana L.

Stadelnikas

- Sedar be issued.

6. Petitioner requests that the award for attorney’s fees and costs be forwarded to

Maglio Christopher & Toale, PA, 1605 Main Street, Suite 710, Sarasota Florida

34236.

7. Nothing in this Stipulation, including the amount set forth in paragraph 3, should be

construed as an admission, concession, or waiver by either party as to any of the

## matters raised by Petitioner’s Application for Fees and Costs, including but not

limited to the hourly rates requested.

Respectfully submitted:

ATTORNEY FOR PETITIONER ATTORNEY FOR RESPONDENT

/s/ Diana L. Stadelnikas Sedar, Esq. /s/Adriana Ruth Teitel, Esq.

Diana L. Stadelnikas Sedar, Esq. Adriana Ruth Teitel, Esq.

Florida Bar Number 0949061 Trial Attorney

MAGLIO CHRISTOPHER & TOALE, PA Torts Branch, Civil Division

1605 Main Street, Suite 710 U.S. Department of Justice

Sarasota, FL 34236 Post Office Box 146

888

- 952

- 5242 Benjamin Franklin Station

fax: 877

- 952

- 50 42 Washington, D.C. 20044

- 0146

Attorney for the Petitioner Attorney for the Respondent

Dated: November 16, 2015