Court Opinion

ID: 6342265
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-05-19 17:01:56.978354+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:20.873710
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-1765V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    ROLAND O’CONNOR,                                        Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: April 4, 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)

Leigh Finfer, Muller Brazil, LLP, Dresher, PA, for Petitioner.

Traci R. Patton, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

        On December 4, 2020, Roland O’Connor 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 left shoulder injuries related to vaccine
administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of an influenza vaccine received on October 18,
2019. Petition at 1. Petitioner further alleges that he received the vaccine in the United
States, his injuries persisted for more than six months, and neither he, nor any other parti,
has ever received compensation in the form of an award or settlement, or filed any action,
for his vaccine-related injury. Petition at ¶¶ 2, 8-10. 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  Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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 April 1, 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 “has concluded that petitioner had no prior history of pain,
inflammation, or dysfunction of his left shoulder; his pain occurred within forty-eight hours
of receiving the subject vaccination; his pain was limited to the shoulder in which the
vaccine was administered; and no other condition or abnormality had been identified to
explain petitioner’s shoulder pain.” Id. at 5. Respondent further agrees that “based on the
medical records outlined [in the Rule 4(c) Report], petitioner suffered the residual effects
of his condition for more than six months. Therefore, based on the record as it now stands,
petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for compensation under the Act.” 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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