Court Opinion

ID: 4546424
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-07-07 13:01:15.299094+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:50:05.011502
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 19-0419V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    ANDREA TJADEN,                                            Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: June 5, 2020
    v.
                                                              Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                              Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine
                        Respondent.                           Administration (SIRVA)

Paul R. Brazil, Muller Brazil, LLP, Dresher, PA, for petitioner.

Mallori Browne Openchowski, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for
respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

        On March 20, 2019, Andrea Tjaden 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, as defined on the Vaccine Injury Table, caused in fact by the
influenza vaccine she received on October 10, 2016. Petition at 1, ¶¶ 2, 13. Petitioner
further alleges that she received the vaccine in the United States, suffered the residual
effects of her injury for more than six months, and that neither she nor any other party
has filed a civil action or received an award for her injury, alleged as vaccine caused. Id.

1
  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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 ruling 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).
at ¶¶ 2, 13-15. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of
Special Masters.

       On June 5, 2020, 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 “believes that petitioner’s alleged injury is consistent with a
SIRVA, as defined on the Vaccine Injury Table.” Id. at 3-4. Respondent further agrees
that “based on the record as it now stands, petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites
for compensation under the Act.” Id. at 4.

       In view of Respondent’s position and the evidence of record, I find that
Petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

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

                                             2