Court Opinion

ID: 6348190
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-06-09 13:00:49.151431+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:01:38.868802
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-2015V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    WILLIAM E. WOHLLEBEN,                                   Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: April 29, 2022
    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)

Brynna Gang, Kraus Law Group, LLC, Chicago, IL, for Petitioner.

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

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

        On December 29, 2020, William E. Wohlleben 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 a shoulder injury related to vaccine
administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of an influenza (“flu”) vaccine administered on
October 17, 2018. Petition at 1. Petitioner further alleges that the vaccine was
administered within the United States, that he has suffered from the residual effects of
this injury more than six months, and that neither Petitioner, nor any other party, has ever
received compensation in the form of an award or settlement for his injury. Petition at 4.
The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

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  Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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 section references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
        On April 25, 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, Respondent has concluded that Petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth
in the Vaccine Injury Table and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation for a SIRVA.
Id. at 5. Respondent further agrees that Petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for
compensation under the Vaccine Act. Id.

       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