Court Opinion

ID: 8374197
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-10-18 21:02:24.795103+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:46:15.950550
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                   OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                           No. 20-1134V
                                        (not to be published)

    FELICIA A. VINSON,
                                                                Chief Special Master Corcoran
                         Petitioner,
    v.                                                          Filed: September 9, 2022

    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                     Special Processing Unit                 (SPU);
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                             Attorney’s Fees and Costs

                         Respondent.

Brynna Gang, Kraus Law Group, LLC, Chicago, IL, for Petitioner.

Alexa Roggenkamp, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                       DECISION ON ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS 1

      On September 3, 2020, Felicia A. Vinson 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 right shoulder injury related to
vaccine administration, a defined Table injury, after receiving an influenza vaccine on
October 11, 2017. Petition at 1, ¶ 2. On April 20, 2022, a decision was issued awarding
compensation to Petitioner based on the Respondent’s proffer. ECF No. 43.

1  Because this unpublished Decision contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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 Decision 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).
       Petitioner has now filed a motion for attorney’s fees and costs, dated August 12,
2022 (ECF No. 49), requesting an award of $10,380.36 (representing $10,269.80 in fees
and $110.56 in costs). Petitioner also requests $5,318.31 in fees and costs incurred by
Petitioner’s former counsel, Habush, Habush, & Rottier, S.C. Id at 1. In accordance with
General Order No. 9, counsel for Petitioner represents that Petitioner incurred no out-of-
pocket expenses. Id at 2. Respondent did not file a response to Petitioner’s motion.

      I have reviewed the billing records submitted with Petitioner’s request. In my
experience, the request appears reasonable, and I find no cause to reduce the requested
hours or rates.

       The Vaccine Act permits an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. Section
15(e). Accordingly, I hereby GRANT Petitioner’s Motion for attorney’s fees and costs. I
award a total of $15,698.67 (representing $10,380.36 in fees and costs incurred by Kraus
Law Group, LLC and $5,318.31 in fees and costs incurred by Habush, Habush, & Rottier,
S.C) as a lump sum in the form of a check jointly payable to Petitioner and Petitioner’s
counsel. In the absence of a timely-filed motion for review (see Appendix B to the Rules
of the Court), the Clerk shall enter judgment in accordance with this decision. In the
absence of a timely-filed motion for review (see Appendix B to the Rules of the Court),
the Clerk shall enter judgment in accordance with this decision. 3

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                                      s/Brian H. Corcoran
                                                      Brian H. Corcoran
                                                      Chief Special Master

3 Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), the parties may expedite entry of judgment by filing a joint notice
renouncing their right to seek review.
                                                 2