Court Opinion

ID: 6325181
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-03-21 17:01:45.027027+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:44.214508
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-1464V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    HUMBERTO RODRIGUEZ,                                     Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: February 16, 2022
    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.

Russell Berkowitz, Berkowitz and Hanna LLC, Shelton, CT, for Petitioner.

Dhairya Divyakant Jani, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

        On October 26, 2020, Humberto Rodriguez 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”)
as a result of an influenza vaccine received on February 20, 2018. Petition at 1. Petitioner
further alleges the vaccine was administered in the United States, he suffered the residual
effects and complications of GBS for more than six months, and neither Petitioner nor
any other party has ever filed an action or received compensation in the form of an award
or settlement for his vaccine-related injury. Petition at ¶¶ 2, 22-24. 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  Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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 February 14, 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 agrees “that petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth in the
Vaccine Injury Table and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation.” Id. at 6.

       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