Court Opinion

ID: 6104496
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-01-19 14:02:42.623667+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:53:44.381839
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-1115V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    CHRISTA SMITH,                                          Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: December 13, 2021
    v.
                                                            Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                 Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                         Table Injury; Human Papillomavirus
                                                            (HPV) Vaccine; Shoulder Injury
                       Respondent.                          Related to Vaccine Administration
                                                            (SIRVA)

Maximillian J. Muller, Muller Brazil, LLP, Dresher, PA, for Petitioner.

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

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

      On September 1, 2020, Christa Smith 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 human papillomavirus (“HPV”) vaccine
administered to her on June 27, 2019. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special
Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On December 9, 2021, 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 indicates that “[P]etitioner 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1 Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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 (“Table”) and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation (“QAI”)
for SIRVA”. Id. at 3. Respondent further agrees that “[P]etitioner timely filed her case, that
she received the HPV vaccine in the United States, and that she satisfies the statutory
severity requirement by suffering the residual effects or complications of her injury for
more than six months after vaccine administration.” Id. at 3-4.

       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

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