Court Opinion

ID: 4034368
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-16 12:02:33.357776+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:26:49.319084
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 16-438V
                                      Filed: July 8, 2016
                                        UNPUBLISHED

****************************
MARTIN RAUSCH,                          *
                                        *
                    Petitioner,         *     Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
v.                                      *     Influenza (“Flu”); Shoulder Injury
                                        *     Related to Vaccine Administration
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                     *     (“SIRVA”); Special Processing Unit
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                     *     (“SPU”)
                                        *
                    Respondent.         *
                                        *
****************************
Alison H. Haskins, Maglio Christopher and Toale, Sarasota, FL, for petitioner.
Douglas Ross, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On April 6, 2016, 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”). Petitioner alleges that he suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine
administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of an influenza (“flu”) vaccination administered on
August 28, 2014. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit
of the Office of Special Masters.

        On July 7, 2016, 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 concluded that petitioner suffered a SIRVA and that the
preponderance of the medical evidence indicates that the injury was causally related to
the flu vaccination petitioner received on August 28, 2014 Id. at 7. Respondent further

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  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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. 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2012) (Federal Management and Promotion of
Electronic Government Services). 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.
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).
agrees that petitioner satisfied all the legal prerequisites for compensation under the
Vaccine Act. Id. at 8.

     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

                                             2