Court Opinion

ID: 4270608
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-04-27 16:04:03.918527+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:31:40.990673
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 17-689V
                                    Filed: January 26, 2018
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    VICTOR WALKER,
                                                             Special Processing Unit (SPU);
                        Petitioner,                          Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    v.                                                       Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                             Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND
    HUMAN SERVICES,

                       Respondent.

Howard Dale Mishkind, Mishkind Law Firm Co., L.P.A., Beechwood, OH, for petitioner.
Linda Sara Renzi, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1
Dorsey, Chief Special Master:
       On May 24, 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 he suffered Guillain-Barre Syndrome (“GBS”) as a result of
his March 21, 2016 influenza (“flu”) vaccination. Petition at 1. The case was assigned
to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.
       On January 26, 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 1. Specifically, respondent states “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

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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).
GBS occurs between three and forty-two days after a seasonal flu vaccination and there
is no apparent alternative cause. 42C.F.R. § 1003.(a)(XIV)(D), (c)(15).” Id. at 5.
     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