Court Opinion

ID: 4122994
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-02-03 13:03:14.691076+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:37:25.944070
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 16-0652V
                                    Filed: October 18, 2016
                                          Unpublished

****************************
SARAH ETHERIDGE-CRISWELL,                *
                                         *
                     Petitioner,         *      Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
v.                                       *      Influenza (“Flu”) Vaccine; Shoulder
                                         *      Injury Related to Vaccine Administration
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                      *      (“SIRVA”); Special Processing Unit
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                      *      (“SPU”)
                                         *
                     Respondent.         *
                                         *
****************************
Danielle A. Strait, Maglio Christopher and Toale, PA, Washington, DC, for petitioner.
Ilene C. Albala, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On June 2, 2016, Sarah Etheridge-Criswell (“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 an injury to her left shoulder as a result of an influenza (“flu”) vaccine
administered on December 14, 2014. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the
Special Processing Unit (“SPU”) of the Office of Special Masters.

        On October 17, 2016, respondent filed her Rule 4(c) report in which she
concedes that petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Rule 4(c) Rep. at 1.
Respondent concluded, based on her evaluation of the evidence, that petitioner’s injury
is consistent with a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (“SIRVA”), and that
petitioner has suffered the residual effects of her condition for more than six months. Id.

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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.

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).
at 3. Therefore, based on the record as it now stands, petitioner has satisfied all legal
prerequisites for compensation under the Vaccine Act. Id. at 4.

     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

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