Court Opinion

ID: 6320083
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-03-04 14:01:26.475139+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:02:35.976370
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                   OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                           No. 17-2001V
                                          UNPUBLISHED

    LESLIE KRAUS,                                               Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                            Filed: January 31, 2022
    v.
                                                                Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                     Damages Decision Based on Proffer;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                             Influenza (Flu) Vaccine; Shoulder
                                                                Injury Related to Vaccine
                         Respondent.                            Administration (SIRVA)

Leah VaSahnja Durant, Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, Washington, DC, for
Petitioner.

Jennifer Leigh Reynaud, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                 DECISION AWARDING DAMAGES1

      On December 21, 2017, Leslie Kraus 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 from a shoulder injury related to
vaccine administration (“SIRVA”) after receiving an influenza (“flu”) vaccination on
September 26, 2016. Petition at 1 (Preamble). The case was assigned to the Special
Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

        On September 2, 2021, a ruling on entitlement was issued finding Petitioner
entitled to compensation for SIRVA. On January 31, 2022, Respondent filed a proffer on
award of compensation (“Proffer”) indicating Petitioner should be awarded a total of
$61,042.98 consisting of $60,000.00 in actual and projected pain and suffering and
$1,042.98 in past unreimbursable expenses. Proffer at 2. In the Proffer, Respondent
1
   Because this unpublished Decision contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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 Decision 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).
represented that Petitioner agrees with the proffered award. Id. Based on the record as a
whole, I find that Petitioner is entitled to an award as stated in the Proffer.

      Pursuant to the terms stated in the attached Proffer, I award Petitioner a lump
sum payment of $61,042.98 (consisting of $60,000.00 in actual and projected pain
and suffering and $1,042.98 in past unreimbursable expenses) in the form of a
check payable to Petitioner. This amount represents compensation for all damages that
would be available under Section 15(a).

       The Clerk of Court is directed to enter judgment in accordance with this decision.3

       IT IS SO ORDERED.

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

3
  Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), entry of judgment can be expedited by the parties’ joint filing of notice
renouncing the right to seek review.

                                                    2
                 THE UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS
                         OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS

 LESLIE KRAUS,

                Petitioner,                          No. 17-2001V
                                                     Chief Special Master Corcoran
 v.

 SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND
 HUMAN SERVICES,

                Respondent.

                              PROFFER ON AWARD OF DAMAGES

      On December 21, 2017, Leslie Kraus (“petitioner”) filed a petition for compensation

(“Petition”) under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, as amended (“the

Vaccine Act” or “the Act”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 300aa-1 to -34. The Petition alleges that petitioner

suffered from a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of an

influenza (“flu”) vaccine administered to her in her right arm on September 26, 2016. See

Petition at Preamble. The Court found petitioner entitled to compensation on September 2, 2021.

ECF No. 59.

I.    Items of Compensation

       A.      Pain and Suffering

       Respondent proffers that petitioner should be awarded $60,000.00 in actual and projected

pain and suffering. This amount reflects that any award for projected pain and suffering has

been reduced to net present value. See 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a)(4). Petitioner agrees.

                                                1
       B.      Past Unreimbursable Expenses

       Evidence supplied by petitioner documents his expenditure of past unreimbursable

expenses related to his vaccine-related injury. Respondent proffers that petitioner should be

awarded past unreimbursable expenses in the amount of $1,042.98. Petitioner agrees.

II.    Form of the Award

       Respondent recommends that the compensation provided to petitioner should be made

through a lump sum payment of $61,042.98 in the form of a check made payable to petitioner. 1

This lump sum payment represents all elements of compensation to which petitioner would be

entitled under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a). Petitioner agrees.

       Petitioner is a competent adult. Evidence of guardianship is not required in this case.

                                             Respectfully submitted,

                                             BRIAN M. BOYNTON
                                             Acting Assistant Attorney General

                                             C. SALVATORE D’ALESSIO
                                             Acting Director
                                             Torts Branch, Civil Division

                                             HEATHER L. PEARLMAN
                                             Deputy Director
                                             Torts Branch, Civil Division

                                             DARRYL R. WISHARD
                                             Assistant Director
                                             Torts Branch, Civil Division

1
 Should petitioner die prior to the entry of judgment, the parties reserve the right to move the
Court for appropriate relief. In particular, respondent would oppose any award for future
medical expenses, future lost earnings, and future pain and suffering.

                                                 2
                          s/Jennifer L. Reynaud
                          JENNIFER L. REYNAUD
                          Senior Trial Attorney
                          Torts Branch, Civil Division
                          U.S. Department of Justice
                          P.O. Box 146
                          Benjamin Franklin Station
                          Washington, D.C. 20044-0146
                          Tel: (202) 305-1586
                          Jennifer.L.Reynaud@usdoj.gov

DATED: January 31, 2022

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