Court Opinion

ID: 4533563
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-05-12 16:02:08.988063+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:27:19.428870
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 19-0438V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    MAUREEN NELSON,                                           Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: April 7, 2020
    v.
                                                              Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                              Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
                        Respondent.

Robert Joel Krakow, Law Office of Robert J. Krakow, P.C. New York, NY, for petitioner.

Sarah Christina Duncan, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

       On March 25, 2019, Maureen Nelson 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 Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) as a
result of an influenza (“flu”) vaccination administered on December 22, 2016. Petition at
1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special
Masters.

       On April 6, 2020, 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, it is Respondent’s position that Petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth

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  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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).
in the Vaccine Injury Table and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation, which
afford Petitioner a presumption of causation if the onset of GBS occurs between three
and forty-two days after a seasonal flu vaccination and there is no apparent alternative
cause. Id. at 5.

       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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