Court Opinion

ID: 4527892
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-04-22 20:02:18.567357+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:44:04.555089
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 18-1298V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    FRANKLIN GALLO,                                           Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: March 23, 2020
    v.
                                                              Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   Damages Decision Based on Proffer;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Tetanus Diphtheria acellular
                                                              Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine; Shoulder
                        Respondent.                           Injury Related to Vaccine
                                                              Administration (SIRVA)

Leah VaSahnja Durant, Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, Washington, DC, for
petitioner.

Julia Marter Collison, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                DECISION AWARDING DAMAGES1

      On August 27, 2018, Franklin Gallo 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 he suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine
administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of a tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (“Tdap”)
vaccine administered on September 5, 2017. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to
the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

        On January 28, 2020, a ruling on entitlement was issued, finding Petitioner
entitled to compensation for his SIRVA. On March 19, 2020, Respondent filed a proffer
on award of compensation (“Proffer”) indicating Petitioner should be awarded

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  Because this unpublished decision contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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 “§” references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
$97,500.00. Proffer at 2. In the Proffer, Respondent represented that Petitioner agrees
with the proffered award. Id. at 1. Based on the record as a whole, I find that Petitioner
is entitled to an award as stated in the Proffer.

     Pursuant to the terms stated in the attached Proffer, I award Petitioner a lump
sum payment of $97,500.00 in the form of a check payable to Petitioner. This
amount represents compensation for all damages that would be available under § 15(a).

       The clerk of the court is directed to 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), entry of judgment can be expedited by the parties’ joint filing of notice
renouncing the right to seek review.

                                                      2
                IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS
                          OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS

 FRANKLIN GALLO,

                 Petitioner,                            No. 18-1298V
                                                        Chief Special Master Corcoran
 v.                                                     ECF

 SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND
 HUMAN SERVICES,

                 Respondent.

             RESPONDENT’S PROFFER ON AWARD OF COMPENSATION

       On August 27, 2018, Franklin Gallo (“petitioner”) filed a petition for compensation under

the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, 42 U.S.C. §§ 300aa-1 to -34 (“Vaccine Act”

or “Act”), which alleged that petitioner received a tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis

(“Tdap”) vaccination on September 5, 2017, and thereafter suffered a shoulder injury related to

vaccine administration (“SIRVA”), which is on the Vaccine Injury Table. On January 28, 2020,

the Chief Special Master issued a Ruling on Entitlement finding petitioner entitled to

compensation.

I.     Items of Compensation

       A.       Pain and Suffering

       Respondent proffers that petitioner should be awarded $97,500.00 in actual and projected

pain and suffering. This amount reflects that the award for projected pain and suffering has been

reduced to net present value. See 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a)(4). Petitioner agrees.
II.    Form of the Award

       Petitioner is a competent adult. Evidence of guardianship is not required in this case.

Respondent recommends that the compensation provided to petitioner should be made through a

lump sum payment as described below and requests that the Chief Special Master’s decision and

the Court’s judgment award the following1: a lump sum payment of $97,500.00, in the form of a

check payable to petitioner, Franklin Gallo.

III.   Summary of Recommended Payments Following Judgment

       Lump sum payable to petitioner, Franklin Gallo:                              $97,500.00

                                               Respectfully submitted,

                                               JOSEPH H. HUNT
                                               Assistant Attorney General

                                               C. SALVATORE D’ALESSIO
                                               Acting Director
                                               Torts Branch, Civil Division

                                               CATHARINE E. REEVES
                                               Deputy Director
                                               Torts Branch, Civil Division

                                               HEATHER L. PEARLMAN
                                               Assistant Director
                                               Torts Branch, Civil Division

1
       Should petitioner die prior to entry of judgment, the parties reserve the right to move the
Court for appropriate relief. In particular, respondent would oppose any award for future lost
earnings and future pain and suffering.
                                                  2
                          /s/ Julia M. Collison
                          JULIA M. COLLISON
                          Trial Attorney
                          Torts Branch, Civil Division
                          U.S. Department of Justice
                          P.O. Box 146
                          Ben Franklin Station
                          Washington, DC 20044-0146
                          Tel: (202) 305-0102

Dated:   March 19, 2020

                            3