Court Opinion

ID: 4308267
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-08-29 16:01:47.633337+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:42:45.081174
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 17-0332V
                                      Filed: April 25, 2018
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    CARMEN GONZALEZ,
                                                             Special Processing Unit (SPU);
                        Petitioner,                          Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    v.                                                       Causation-In-Fact; Hepatitis B (Hep
                                                             B) Vaccine; Shoulder Injury Related
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                  to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA)
    HUMAN SERVICES,

                       Respondent.

John Robert Howie, Howie Law, PC, Dallas, TX, for petitioner.
Robert Paul Coleman, III, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1
Dorsey, Chief Special Master:
       On March 10, 2017, 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 she suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine
administration (“SIRVA”) due to a Hepatitis B vaccination received on May 20, 2015.
Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of
Special Masters.
       On April 25, 2018, respondent filed his Rule 4(c) report in which he concedes
that petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule 4(c) Report
at 1. Specifically, respondent “agrees that petitioner’s SIRVA was caused-in-fact by the
hepatitis B vaccination administered in her left arm on May 20, 2015. Id. at 2.

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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.

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).
Respondent further agrees that no other causes for petitioner’s SIRVA were identified,
the statutory six month sequela requirement has been satisfied and, thus, “petitioner
has satisfied all legal prerequisites for compensation under the Act.” Id.
     In view of respondent’s position and the evidence of record, the
undersigned finds that petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                 s/Nora Beth Dorsey
                                 Nora Beth Dorsey
                                 Chief Special Master