Court Opinion

ID: 4472621
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-01-14 17:02:03.885569+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:19:50.895595
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 19-0069V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    JEFFREY BARTON,                                           Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: December 12, 2019
    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)

Jessica Olins, Maglio Christopher & Toale, PA, Washington, DC, for petitioner.

Darryl R. Wishard, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

       On January 15, 2019, Jeffrey Barton 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 a left shoulder injury related to
vaccine administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of an October 11, 2016 influenza (“flu”)
vaccine. Petition at 1-4. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the
Office of Special Masters.

      On December 11, 2019, 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 agrees “that petitioner’s alleged injury is

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  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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 “§” references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C.
§ 300aa (2012).
consistent with SIRVA of the left arm and that it meets the requirements of a Table
injury claim for SIRVA stemming from the flu vaccination on October 11, 2016.” Id. at
8. Respondent further agrees that no other causes have been identified for Petitioner’s
left arm injury, and that records show that he suffered the sequela of his injury for more
than six months. Id. Thus, Respondent agrees that Petitioner “has met the statutory
requirements for entitlement to compensation . . . [and] satisfied all legal prerequisites
for compensation under the Act.” Id. at 8-9.

       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

                                             2