Court Opinion

ID: 7803102
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-08-24 13:01:08.784021+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:29:34.995003
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-1538V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    HELENA MCHALE,                                          Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: July 22, 2022
    v.
                                                            Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                 Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                         Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                            Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine
                       Respondent.                          Administration (SIRVA)

Bruce William Slane, Law Office of Bruce W. Slane, P.C., White Plains, NY, for
      Petitioner.

Tyler King, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

        On November 6, 2020, Helena McHale 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
injury (“SIRVA”), a defined Table injury, after receiving the influenza vaccine on October
8, 2019. Petition at 1, ¶¶ 2, 23. In the alternative, Petitioner alleges that her shoulder
injury and/or injuries were caused-in-fact by the influenza vaccine she received. Id. at 1,
¶¶ 2, 24. Petitioner further alleges that she received the vaccine within the United States,
that she suffered the residual effects of her SIRVA injury for more than six months, and
that neither she nor any other party has filed a civil action or received compensation for

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  Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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).
her SIRVA injury. Petition at ¶¶ 2, 26-28. The case was assigned to the Special
Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On July 22, 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.
ECF No. 35. Specifically, Respondent believes “that [P]etitioner has satified the criteria
set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table (“Table”) and the Qualifications and Aids to
Interpretation (“QAI”).” Id. at 5-6.

       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