Court Opinion

ID: 6328270
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-03-30 17:02:02.539986+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:38.010026
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-1649V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    ANDREW PETERSON,                                        Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: February 22, 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)

John Robert Howie, Howie Law, PC, Dallas, TX, for Petitioner.

Dhairya Divyakant Jani, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

       On November 23, 2020, Andrew Peterson 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 as a result of an influenza vaccine received on January 8, 2019. Petition
at 1. Petitioner further alleges the vaccine was administered in the United States, his
symptoms have continued for more than six months, and he has never received
compensation in the form of an award or settlement, or filed a civil suit, for his vaccine-
related injury. Petition at ¶¶ 3, 20, 21; Ex. 2 at 3-4. 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  Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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.
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 February 22, 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 agrees that “petitioner had no history of pain, inflammation,
or dysfunction in his left shoulder; his pain and reduced range of motion occurred within
48 hours of his receipt of an intramuscular vaccination; his symptoms were limited to the
shoulder in which the vaccine was administered; and no other condition or abnormality
was identified to explain his symptoms.” Id. at 5-6.

       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