Court Opinion

ID: 7805805
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-01 21:01:35.974658+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:05.953971
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-1471V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    NICOLE FORTNEY,                                         Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: August 1, 2022
    v.
                                                            Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                 Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                         Table Injury; Combined Hepatitis A
                                                            and Hepatitis B (Hep A/Hep B)
                       Respondent.                          Vaccine; Shoulder Injury Related to
                                                            Vaccine Administration (SIRVA)

Ronald Craig Homer, Conway, Homer, P.C., Boston, MA, for Petitioner.

Meghan Murphy, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

      On October 27, 2020, Nicole Fortney 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”) as a result of a combined Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B (“Hep
A/Hep B”) vaccination that was administered on June 6, 2018. Petition at 1. The case
was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On July 29, 2022, 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, “it is respondent’s position that petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth in

1 Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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.

2National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-660, 100 Stat. 3755. Hereinafter, for ease
of citation, all section references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
the Vaccine Injury Table.” Id. at 8. Respondent further agrees that Petitioner has satisfied
the statutory six-month sequelae requirement. Id. (citing § 300aa-11(c)(D)(I).

       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

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