Court Opinion

ID: 4149534
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-03-01 21:02:42.593077+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:46:27.246132
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 16-831V
                                   Filed: November 10, 2016
                                        UNPUBLISHED

****************************
SUSAN J. SWANSON,                      *
                                       *
                    Petitioner,        *      Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
v.                                     *      Influenza;
                                       *      Shoulder Injury; SIRVA;
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                    *      Special Processing Unit (“SPU”)
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                    *
                                       *
                    Respondent.        *
                                       *
****************************
Douglas Lee Burdette, Burkett & Burdette, Seattle, WA, for petitioner.
Alice Isabel Legat Tayman, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for
respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On July 13, 2016, 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”) following her October 23, 2014 influenza vaccination. Petition
at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special
Masters.

        On November 9, 2016, respondent filed her Rule 4(c) report in which she
concedes that petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule
4(c) Report at 1. Specifically, respondent “has determined that petitioner’s alleged
injury is consistent with a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA), and
it was caused by the flu vaccination that petitioner received on October 23, 2014.” Id. at

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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).
4. Respondent further agrees that no other cause for petitioner’s injury has been
identified, that petitioner suffered residual effects of her injury for more than six months,
and that petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for compensation under the
Vaccine Act. Id.

     In view of respondent’s concession and the evidence before me, the
undersigned finds that petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                    s/Nora Beth Dorsey
                                    Nora Beth Dorsey
                                    Chief Special Master

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