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Page Number: 9

6 

BRUESEWITZ v. WYETH LLC 

Opinion of the Court 

seizures.28  She suffered over 100 seizures during the next 
month,  and  her  doctors  eventually  diagnosed  her  with
“residual  seizure  disorder”  and  “developmental  delay.”29 
Hannah,  now  a  teenager,  is  still  diagnosed  with  both
conditions. 

In  April  1995,  Hannah’s  parents,  Russell  and  Robalee 
Bruesewitz,  filed  a  vaccine  injury  petition  in  the  United 
States  Court  of  Federal  Claims,  alleging  that  Hannah
suffered  from  on-Table  residual  seizure  disorder  and 
encephalopathy  injuries.30    A  Special  Master  denied  their
claims  on  various  grounds,  though  they  were  awarded
$126,800  in  attorney’s  fees  and  costs.    The  Bruesewitzes 
elected to reject the unfavorable judgment, and in October 
2005 filed this lawsuit in Pennsylvania state court.  Their 
complaint  alleged  (as  relevant  here)  that  defective  design 
of Lederle’s DTP vaccine caused Hannah’s disabilities, and 
that Lederle was subject to strict liability, and liability for 
negligent design, under Pennsylvania common law.31 

Wyeth  removed  the  suit  to  the  United  States  District
Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania,  which
granted  Wyeth  summary  judgment  on  the  strict-liability 
and  negligence  design-defect  claims,  holding  that  the 
Pennsylvania  law  providing  those  causes  of  action  was
preempted  by  42  U. S. C.  §300aa–22(b)(1).32   The  United 
States  Court  of  Appeals  for  the  Third  Circuit  affirmed.33 
We granted certiorari.  559 U. S. ___ (2010). 

—————— 

28 See  Bruesewitz  v.  Secretary  of  Health  and  Human  Servs.,  No.  95– 

0266V, 2002 WL 31965744, *3 (Ct. Cl., Dec. 20, 2002). 

29 561 F. 3d 233, 236 (CA3 2009). 
30 See id., at *1. 
31 See 561 F. 3d at 237.  The complaint also made claims based upon
failure  to  warn  and  defective  manufacture.    These  are  no  longer  at
issue. 

32 See id., at 237–238. 
33 Id., at 235.