Court Opinion

ID: 4323424
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-10-23 12:01:25.195365+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:46:40.218799
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 17-1287V
                                     Filed: August 10, 2018
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    BARBARA M. MCDANIEL,

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

Leah VaSahnja Durant, Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, Washington, DC, for
      petitioner.
Sherry Denise Soanes, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1
Dorsey, Chief Special Master:
       On September 18, 2017, 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”) after receiving a tetanus/diphtheria vaccine on November 1,
2016. Petition at 1, ¶¶ 1, 11. Petitioner further alleges that she received the vaccination
in the United States, that she suffered the residual effects of her injury for more than six
months, and that neither she nor any other party has filed a civil action or received
compensation for her injury, alleged as vaccine caused. Id. at ¶¶ 1, 11-12. 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1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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).
       On August 9, 2018, 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 7. Specifically, respondent “has determined that Petitioner’s right shoulder injury is
consistent with SIRVA, as defined on the Vaccine Injury Table.” Id. at 7.

     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