Court Opinion

ID: 4693079
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-06-04 20:03:51.186759+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:05:20.481104
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 19-1876V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    LISA MEIRNDORF,                                         Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: April 30, 2021
    v.
                                                            Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                 Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                         Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                            Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine
                       Respondent.                          Administration (SIRVA)

John Robert Howie, Howie Law, PC, Dallas, TX, for petitioner.

Voris Edward Johnson, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

       On December 11, 2019, Lisa Meirndorf 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 Table Injury – Shoulder Injury
Related to Vaccine Administration (“SIRVA”) – as a result of her October 30, 2017
influenza (“flu”) vaccination. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special
Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On April 28, 2021, 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.

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  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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.
2
  National 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).
Specifically, Respondent indicates that

      [m]edical personnel at the Division of Injury Compensation Programs,
      Department of Health and Human Services (“DICP”), have reviewed the
      petition and medical records filed in this case. Based on their review, DICP
      concluded that petitioner suffered a Table injury of right SIRVA. DICP did
      not identify any other causes for petitioner’s right SIRVA, and based on the
      medical records outlined above, petitioner met the statutory requirements
      by experiencing six months of residual effects. See 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-
      13(a)(1)(B); 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-11(c)(1)(D)(i) and (iii).

Id. at 8-9. Respondent further agrees that “based on the record as it now stands,
compensation is appropriate, as petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for
compensation under the Act.” Id. at 9

       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

                                           2