Court Opinion

ID: 4037179
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-26 20:02:45.125012+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:29:51.057017
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 15-936V
                                   Filed: November 23, 2015
                                          Unpublished

****************************
JENNIFER SIEKIERSKI,                   *
                                       *
                   Petitioner,         *      Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
                                       *      Influenza;
                                       *      Shoulder Injury (“SIRVA”);
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                    *      Special Processing Unit (“SPU”)
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                    *
                                       *
                   Respondent.         *
                                       *
****************************
Katheryn Lee Bruns, Faraci Lange, LLP, Rochester, NY, for petitioner.
Julia Wernett McInerny, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On August 26, 2015, Petitioner filed a petition for compensation under the
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, 42 U.S.C. §300aa-10, et seq., 2 [the
“Vaccine Act” or “Program”]. Petitioner alleges that she experienced a shoulder injury
related to vaccine administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of her receipt of an influenza
vaccine on November 4, 2014. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special
Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On November 23, 2015, respondent filed her Rule 4(c) report in which she
concedes that petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule
4(c) Report at 1. Specifically, respondent “believes that the alleged injury is consistent
with SIRVA. Based on the medical records outlined above, petitioner met the statutory
requirements by suffering the condition for more than six months.” Id. at 5. Respondent

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the
undersigned intends to post it on the United States Court of Federal Claims' website, in accordance with
the E-Government Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-347, § 205, 116 Stat. 2899, 2913 (codified as amended
at 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2006)). 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, the undersigned agrees that the identified material fits
within this definition, the undersigned will redact such material from public access.

2National 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).
further agrees that petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for compensation under
the Vaccine Act. Id.

     In view of respondent’s concession and the evidence before me, the
undersigned finds that petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                   s/Nora Beth Dorsey
                                   Nora Beth Dorsey
                                   Chief Special Master