Court Opinion

ID: 4509939
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-02-24 21:01:52.524487+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:30:33.840696
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 18-1809V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    SUSAN LITTLE,                                             Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: January 21, 2020
    v.
                                                              Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   Ruling on Entitlement; Uncontested;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                              Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
                        Respondent.

Ronald Craig Homer, Conway, Homer, P.C., Boston, MA, for petitioner.

Mark Kim Hellie, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

      On November 26, 2018, Susan Little 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 from Guillain-Barré syndrome
(“GBS”) as a result of an influenza (“flu”) vaccine administered to her on October 3,
2016. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office
of Special Masters.

       On January 21, 2020, Respondent filed his Rule 4(c) report in which he states
that he does not contest that Petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case.
Respondent’s Rule 4(c) Report at 1. Specifically, Respondent states that “[i]t 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  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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).
respondent’s position that petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth in the Vaccine
Injury Table (‘Table’) and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation (‘QAI’).” Id. at 4.

       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