Court Opinion

ID: 4708077
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-07-30 20:03:35.832456+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:06:48.322283
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                   OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                           No. 19-1712V
                                        (not to be published)

    JAIME LEHMAN,
                                                                Chief Special Master Corcoran
                          Petitioner,
    v.                                                          Filed: June 30, 2021

    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                     Special Processing Unit                 (SPU);
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                             Attorney’s Fees and Costs

                         Respondent.

Bruce William Slane, Law Office of Bruce W. Slane, P.C., White Plains, NY, for Petitioner.

Debra A. Filteau Begley, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                       DECISION ON ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS 1

        On November 4, 2019, Jaime Lehman filed a petition for compensation under the
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, 42 U.S.C. §300aa-10, et seq. (the
“Vaccine Act”). Petitioner alleges that he suffered a Table injury – Shoulder Injury Related
to Vaccine Administration – as a result of his November 8, 2017 influenza vaccination.
(Petition at 1). On May 19, 2021, a decision was issued awarding compensation to
Petitioner based on the Respondent’s proffer. (ECF No. 49).

      Petitioner has now filed a motion for attorney’s fees and costs, dated June 8, 2021
(ECF No. 53), requesting a total award of $20,685.59 (representing $19,173.50 in fees
and $1,512.09 in costs). In accordance with General Order No. 9, Petitioner filed a signed

1
   Because this unpublished Decision contains a reasoned explanation f or the action in this case, I am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 Decision 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.
statement indicating that he incurred no out-of-pocket expenses. (ECF No. 53-3).
Respondent did not file a response.

       The Vaccine Act permits an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. Section
15(e). Accordingly, I hereby GRANT Petitioner’s Motion for attorney’s fees and costs. I
award a total of $20,685.59 (representing $19,173.50 in fees and $1,512.09 in costs) as
a lump sum in the form of a check jointly payable to Petitioner and Petitioner’s counsel.
In the absence of a timely-filed motion for review (see Appendix B to the Rules of the
Court), the Clerk shall enter judgment in accordance with this decision. 2

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                                      s/Brian H. Corcoran
                                                      Brian H. Corcoran
                                                      Chief Special Master

2
  Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), the parties may expedite entry of judgment by f iling a joint notice
renouncing their right to seek review.
                                                  2