Court Opinion

ID: 4565223
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-09-14 16:01:41.306681+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:11:56.345603
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 19-341V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    S. C.,                                                    Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: April 30, 2020
    v.
                                                              Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Table Injury; Human Papillomavirus
                                                              (HPV) Vaccine; Shoulder Injury
                        Respondent.                           Related to Vaccine Administration
                                                              (SIRVA)

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

Mollie Danielle Gorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

       On March 5, 2019, S. C. 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”) as a result of a human papillomavirus (“HPV”) vaccine
administered on April 25, 2017. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special
Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On April 27, 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

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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.

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).
at 1. Specifically, Respondent concludes that Petitioner “has satisfied the criteria set
forth in the revised Vaccine Injury Table and the Qualifications and Aids to
Interpretation, which afford petitioners a presumption of causation if onset of SIRVA
occurs within forty-eight hours after receipt of a seasonal flu vaccination and there is no
apparent alternative cause.” Id. at 8. Respondent further agrees that “the medical
records demonstrate that petitioner has experienced the residual effects of her SIRVA
for more than six months.” Id.

       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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