Court Opinion

ID: 3200226
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-05-04 12:05:55.786908+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:50:27.039837
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 15-932V
                                     Filed: January 8, 2016
                                          Unpublished

****************************
KATIE RICE,                               *
                                          *
                     Petitioner,          *      Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
                                          *      Influenza;
                                          *      Shoulder Injury (“SIRVA”);
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                       *      Special Processing Unit (“SPU”)
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                       *
                                          *
                     Respondent.          *
                                          *
****************************
Paul Brazil, Muller Brazil, LLP, Dresher, PA, for petitioner.
Camille Collett, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On August 26, 2015, 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” or “Program”]. Petitioner alleges that she suffered a shoulder injury
following receipt of her October 8, 2014 influenza vaccination. Petition at 1. The case
was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

        On January 7, 2016, respondent filed her Rule 4(c) report in which she concedes
that petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule 4(c) Report
at 1. Specifically, respondent “believes that the alleged injury is consistent with a
shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (“SIRVA”) and it was caused in fact by
the influenza vaccine she received on October 8, 2014. Id. at 7. Respondent further
agrees that no other cause of petitioner’s injury has been identified, that petitioner

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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, Pub. L. No. 107-347, § 205, 116 Stat. 2899, 2913 (codified as amended
at 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2006)). 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.

2National 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).
suffered her condition for more than six months, and that petitioner has satisfied all legal
prerequisites for compensation under the Vaccine Act. Id.

     In view of respondent’s concession and the evidence before me, the
undersigned finds that petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                   s/Nora Beth Dorsey
                                   Nora Beth Dorsey
                                   Chief Special Master