Court Opinion

ID: 4306026
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-08-22 12:01:27.646849+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:38:11.079627
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 17-0697V
                                      Filed: April 13, 2018
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    JOSEPH L. WHEATLEY,
                                                             Special Processing Unit (SPU);
                        Petitioner,                          Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    v.                                                       Table Injury; Tetanus, Diphtheria,
                                                             acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine;
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                  Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                          Administration (SIRVA)

                       Respondent.

Anthony P. Ellis, Ellis Law Group, PLLC, Louisville, KY, for petitioner.
Colleen Clemons Hartley, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1
Dorsey, Chief Special Master:
        On May 25, 2017, 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 he suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine
administration (“SIRVA”) caused in fact by the tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (“Tdap”)
vaccine he received on August 15, 2016. Petition at 1, ¶¶ 2, 23. Petitioner also asserts
that his shoulder injury “is consistent with . . . the proposed SIRVA criteria added to the
Vaccine Injury Table.” Id. at ¶ 22. Petitioner further alleges that he has not received an
award or settlement for his injury alleged to be vaccine caused. Id. at ¶ 24. The case
was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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).
       On April 12, 2018, 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, respondent “has determined that petitioner’s medical course is
consistent with a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (“SIRVA”) as defined
on the Vaccine Injury Table.” Id. at 6. Respondent further agrees that “based on the
records as it now stands, petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for compensation
under the Act.” Id. at 7.
     In view of respondent’s position and the evidence of record, the
undersigned finds that petitioner is entitled to compensation.
IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                   s/Nora Beth Dorsey
                                   Nora Beth Dorsey
                                   Chief Special Master