Court Opinion

ID: 4508624
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-02-19 21:02:03.704719+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:04:20.301063
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 18-1850V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    RONNY ECHEVERRI,                                          Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: January 17, 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.

Theodore J. Hong, Maglio Christopher & Toale, PA, Seattle, WA, for petitioner.

Christine Mary Becer, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

       On December 3, 2018, Ronny Echeverri 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 he suffered Guillain-Barre Syndrome as a result
of an adverse reaction to the influenza vaccination he received on December 30, 2015.
Petition at 1, 3. Petitioner further alleges that he received the vaccination in the United
States, that he suffered the residual effects of his GBS for more than six months, and
that neither he nor any other party has filed a civil action or received compensation for
his GBS. Id. at 4. 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1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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.

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 January 16, 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 asserts that Petitioner “suffered GBS
following a flu vaccine within the Table time period, and there is not a preponderance of
the medical evidence that petitioner’s GBS was due to a factor unrelated to the
vaccination. The claim also meets the statutory severity requirements because
petitioner experienced sequelae of his GBS for more than six months.” Id. at 4 (citing
42 C.F.R. § 100.3(a); 42 U.S.C. §§ 300aa-13(a)(1), 300aa-11(c)(1)(D)(i). Respondent
further agrees that “[t]he scope of damages to be awarded is limited to petitioner’s GBS
and its related sequelae only.” Id.

       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

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