Court Opinion

ID: 4455663
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2019-11-14 13:02:10.365438+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:27:55.204316
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                           No. 18-1111V
                                    Filed: September 16, 2019
                                          UNPUBLISHED

    SALVADOR MONARREZ,

                         Petitioner,                          Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    v.                                                        Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
                                                              Table Injury; Tetanus Diphtheria
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine
                                                              Administration (SIRVA)
                        Respondent.

Bridget Candace McCullough, Muller Brazil, LLP, Dresher, PA, for petitioner.
Adriana Ruth Teitel, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On July 30, 2018, 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 she suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine
administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of a Tetanus Diphtheria acellular Pertussis (“Tdap”)
vaccination administered on October 6, 2016. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to
the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

1The undersigned intends to post this ruling on the United States Court of Federal Claims' website. 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, the undersigned
agrees that the identified material fits within this definition, the undersigned will redact such material from
public access. Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this
case, undersigned is 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).

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).
        On September 13, 2019, 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 “has concluded that petitioner’s medical
course is consistent with SIRVA as defined by the Vaccine Injury Table and
corresponding Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation.” Id. at 4. Respondent further
agrees that “petitioner had no pre-vaccination history of pain, inflammation, or
dysfunction of his left shoulder; pain occurred within 48 hours after receipt of an
intramuscular vaccination; pain and reduced range of motion were limited to the
shoulder in which the vaccine was administered; and, no other condition or abnormality
. . . has been identified to explain petitioner’s shoulder pain.” Id. Respondent also
notes that the petitioner suffered the residual effects of his injury for more than six
months. Id.

     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

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