Court Opinion

ID: 3206545
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-05-25 12:02:09.774175+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:36:24.878606
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 16-165V
                                      Filed: April 13, 2016
                                         UNPUBLISHED

****************************
ANNA JOHNSON,                           *
                                        *
                   Petitioner,          *    Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
                                        *    Influenza;
                                        *    Shoulder Injury (“SIRVA”);
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                     *    Special Processing Unit (“SPU”)
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                     *
                                        *
                   Respondent.          *
                                        *
****************************
William Cochran, Black McLaren Jones Ryland & Griffee, Memphis, TN, for petitioner.
Ryan Pyles, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On February 3, 2016, petitioner 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”) following receipt of her September 17, 2014 influenza
vaccination. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the
Office of Special Masters.

       On April 13, 2016, respondent filed her Rule 4(c) report in which she concedes
that petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule 4(c) Report
at 1. Specifically, respondent “has concluded that petitioner’s alleged injury is
consistent with SIRVA; that a preponderance of evidence establishes that her SIRVA
was caused-in-fact by the flu vaccination she received on September 17, 2014; and that
no other causes for petitioner’s SIRVA were identified.” Id. at 2. Respondent further

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the
undersigned intends 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). 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, the undersigned agrees that the identified material fits
within this definition, the undersigned 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).
agrees that petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for compensation under the
Vaccine Act. Id.

     In view of respondent’s concession and the evidence before me, the
undersigned finds that petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                  s/Nora Beth Dorsey
                                  Nora Beth Dorsey
                                  Chief Special Master

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