Opinion ID: 587397
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Decision of the Claims Court

Text: 26 Since 1989, either party may file a motion to have the decision of the special master reviewed by a Claims Court judge. (See II. STANDARD OF REVIEW, parts A and B, below, for a discussion of the differences between the pre- and post-1989 review process.) In reviewing the record of the proceedings of the special master the Claims Court judge may 27 (A) uphold the findings of fact and conclusions of law of the special master and sustain the special master's decision, 28 (B) set aside any findings of fact or conclusion of law of the special master found to be arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law and issue its own findings of fact and conclusions of law, or 29 (C) remand the petition [filed under § 300aa-11] to the special master for further action in accordance with the court's direction. 30 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-12(e)(2) (Supp. I 1989). 31 The Claims Court judge in his opinion agreed that the special master did find that Chelsea suffered a hypotonic-hyporesponsive episode within 3 days following vaccination. However, the judge disagreed with Petitioner's argument that this meant that a Table injury was found. Munn, 21 Cl.Ct. at 350. Citing § 300aa-13(a)(1)(A) and (B), the opinion states that 32 compensation shall be awarded under the [Vaccine Injury Compensation] Program to a petitioner if the special master or court finds on the record as a whole that the petitioner has demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence the matters required in the petition by [§ 300aa-11(c)(1) ], and that there is not a preponderance of the evidence that the illness disability, injury, condition, or death described in the petition is due to factors unrelated to the administration of the vaccine described in the petition. 33 Petitioner seeks compensation for Chelsea's death, which followed the hypotonia. In order to be compensable, the death must be an acute complication or sequela of the hypotonia, or Chelsea must have sustained or have had significantly aggravated the pneumonia because of the vaccine. 34 Munn, 21 Cl.Ct. at 350-51 (emphasis in original, citations omitted). 35 Applying the statutory standard of review, the Claims Court judge did not find any factual findings or conclusions of the special master to be arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law. The special master's conclusions that the pneumonia was not an acute complication of the hypotonic-hyporesponsive episode, that Petitioner failed to establish that Chelsea was made vulnerable to the pneumonia by the DTP vaccine, and that it was the independently acquired pneumonia and not the vaccination which led to Chelsea's death, were all found supportable. Thus the decision of the special master was sustained. 36