In the United States Court of Federal Claims

OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS

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

DARRELL LAMONT TATUM, *

* No. 17-1966V

Petitioner, * Special Master Christian J. Moran

*

v. * Filed: December 28, 2020

*

SECRETARY OF HEALTH * Stipulation; Tdap vaccine; 

AND HUMAN SERVICES, * influenza (“flu”) vaccine;

* Guillain-Barré syndrome (“GBS”);

* chronic inflammatory demyelinating 

Respondent. * polyneuropathy (“CIDP”).

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

Howard S. Gold, Gold Law Firm, LLC, Wellesley Hills, MA, for Petitioner;

Debra A. Filteau Begley, United States Dep’t of Justice, Washington, DC, for 

Respondent.

UNPUBLISHED DECISION1

On December 28, 2020, the parties filed a joint stipulation concerning the 

petition for compensation filed by Darrell Lamont Tatum on December 18, 2017. 

Petitioner alleged that the Tdap vaccine and the influenza (“flu”) vaccine he 

received on February 20, 2015, and March 6, 2015 respectively, which is contained 

in the Vaccine Injury Table (the “Table”), 42 C.F.R. §100.3(a), caused him to 

suffer Guillain-Barré syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating 

polyneuropathy. Petitioner further alleges that he suffered the residual effects of 

these injuries for more than six months. Petitioner represents that there has been 

no prior award or settlement of a civil action for damages on his behalf as a result 

of his condition.

1 The E-Government Act, 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2012) (Federal Management and 

Promotion of Electronic Government Services), requires that the Court post this decision on its 

website. Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 18(b), the parties have 14 days to file a motion proposing 

redaction of medical information or other information described in 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-12(d)(4). 

Any redactions ordered by the special master will appear in the document posted on the website.
2

Respondent denies that the vaccines either caused or significantly 

aggravated petitioner’s alleged injuries or any other injury, and denies that 

petitioner's current disabilities are the result of a vaccine-related injury. 

Nevertheless, the parties agree to the joint stipulation, attached hereto. The 

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

Court in awarding damages, on the terms set forth therein.

Damages awarded in that stipulation include:

1. A lump sum payment of $145,000.00 in the form of a check payable 

to petitioner; and

2. A lump sum of $126,118.66, representing compensation for full 

satisfaction of the State of California Medicaid lien, in the form of a 

check jointly payable to petitioner and:

Department of Health Care Services

Recovery Branch – MS 4720

P.O. Box 997421

Sacramento, CA 95899-7421

Account No. C93699892C-VAC03

These amounts represent compensation for all damages that would 

be available under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a).

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

the clerk is directed to enter judgment according to this decision and the attached 

stipulation.2

 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

s/Christian J. Moran

Christian J. Moran

Special Master

2 Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), the parties can expedite entry of judgment by each 

party filing a notice renouncing the right to seek review by a United States Court of Federal 

Claims judge.