Court Opinion

ID: 4666399
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-03-10 14:01:28.955023+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:09:51.221518
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-0694V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    RAYMOND ZALEWSKI,                                       Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: February 5, 2021
    v.
                                                            Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                 Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                         Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                            Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
                       Respondent.

Edward M. Kraus, Law Offices of Chicago Kent, Chicago, IL, for petitioner.

Alexa Roggenkamp, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

         On June 9, 2020, Raymond Zalewski 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 from Guillain-Barre Syndrome (“GBS”),
specifically, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, as a result of an influenza
(“flu”) vaccine administered on September 16, 2017. Petition at 1. The case was assigned
to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On February 5, 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 agrees that “petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth in
the revised Vaccine Injury Table (“Table”) and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation

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  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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).
(“QAI”), which afford petitioner a presumption of causation if the onset of GBS occurs
between three and forty-two days after a seasonal flu vaccination and there is no apparent
alternative cause.” Id. at 5.

       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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