Court Opinion

ID: 4239784
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-01-26 21:04:16.59709+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:49:01.041506
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                                          OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                                                  No. 16-1472V
                                                               Filed: July 11, 2017
                                                                 UNPUBLISHED

                                                                         
    ROBERT WALLACE,                                                      
                                                                             Special Processing Unit (SPU);
                                           Petitioner,                       Ruling on Entitlement; Uncontested;
    v.                                                                       Causation-In-Fact; Influenza (Flu)
                                                                             Vaccine; Shoulder Injury Related to
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                                  Vaccine Administration (SIRVA)
    HUMAN SERVICES,

                                         Respondent.

                                                                         
Joseph Alexander Vuckovich, Maglio Christopher & Toale, PA, Washington, DC, for
petitioner.
Alexis B. Babcock, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.
 
                                                               RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1
Dorsey, Chief Special Master:
       On November 8, 2016, petitioner 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 left shoulder injury as a result of his
October 17, 2015 influenza (“flu”) vaccination. Petition at 1-2. The case was assigned
to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.
        On July 10, 2017, 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.

                                                            
1
  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the
undersigned intends 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). 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, the undersigned agrees that the identified material fits
within this definition, the undersigned 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).
Specifically, respondent

       has determined that petitioner’s left shoulder injury is consistent with
       [Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration] SIRVA, and that it was
       caused-in-fact by the flu vaccine he received on October 17, 2015. DICP
       did not identify any other causes for petitioner’s SIRVA, and records show
       that he suffered the sequela of his injury for more than six months. Based
       on the medical records outlined above, petitioner has met the statutory
       requirements for entitlement to compensation.

Id. at 3-4.
     In view of respondent’s position and the evidence of record, the
undersigned finds that petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                  s/Nora Beth Dorsey
                                  Nora Beth Dorsey
                                  Chief Special Master