Court Opinion

ID: 4541480
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-06-15 20:01:37.106313+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:48:42.255486
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 19-0835V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    ANITA GROSS,                                              Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: May 13, 2020
    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.

Randall G. Knutson, Knutson & Casey Law Firm, Mankato, MN, for petitioner.

Mollie Danielle Gorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

       On June 6, 2019, Anita Gross 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 Guillain-Barré Syndrome (“GBS”)
caused-in-fact by the influenza vaccine she received on October 25, 2017. Petition at 1,
¶¶ 2, 12. Petitioner further alleges that she received the vaccine in the United States,
suffered the residual effects of her GBS for more than six months, and that neither she
nor any other party has filed a civil action or received an award for her GBS, alleged as
vaccine caused. Id. at ¶¶ 4, 14-15. 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  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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 “§” references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
        On May 13, 2020, 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 believes “that petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth
in the recently revised Vaccine Injury Table (“Table”) and the Qualifications and Aids to
Interpretation (“QAI”), which afford petitioner a presumption of causation if the onset of
GBS occurs between three and forty-two days after a seasonal flu vaccination and
there is no apparent alternative cause.” Id. at 7.

       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