Court Opinion

ID: 4126728
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-02-16 17:02:48.055438+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:31:01.233038
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 16-654V
                                    Filed: October 31, 2016
                                        UNPUBLISHED

****************************
LISA PICKER,                            *
                                        *
                    Petitioner,         *      Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
v.                                      *      Influenza;
                                        *      Shoulder Injury; SIRVA;
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                     *      Special Processing Unit (“SPU”)
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                     *
                                        *
                    Respondent.         *
                                        *
****************************
Mary Coffey, Coffey & Nichols, LLC, St. Louis, MO, for petitioner.
Linda Sara Renzi, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On June 2, 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 October 8, 2014 influenza vaccination.
Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of
Special Masters.

       On October 31, 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 and was caused-in-fact by the administration of a flu vaccine
on October 8, 2014. There were no other causes identified for petitioner’s SIRVA.
Records indicate that she has suffered the sequela of her injuries for more than six

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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).
months.” Id. at 3. Respondent further 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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