Court Opinion

ID: 6332286
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-04-15 21:01:21.019233+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:18.279718
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-1783V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    LAURA COSDEN,                                           Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: March 14, 2022
    v.
                                                            Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                 Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                         Table Injury; Tetanus Diphtheria
                                                            acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine;
                       Respondent.                          Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine
                                                            Administration (SIRVA)

Bridget Candace McCullough, Muller Brazil, LLP, Dresher, PA, for Petitioner.

Meghan Murphy, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

       On December 7, 2020, Laura Cosden 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 right shoulder injury related to
vaccine administration (“SIRVA”) caused by a tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis
(“Tdap”) vaccination on March 27, 2020. Petition at 1. Petitioner further alleges that the
vaccine was administered within the United States, that she suffered from her injury for
more than six months, and that neither Petitioner nor any other party has received
compensation in the form of an award or settlement for her vaccine-related injury. Petition
at 4-5. 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  Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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 March 9, 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 concluded that Petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth in
the Vaccine Injury Table and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation for a SIRVA. Id.
at 5. Respondent further agrees that Petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for
compensation under the Vaccine Act. 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