Court Opinion

ID: 4159281
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-04-11 12:02:50.958795+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:30:16.735308
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 16-1050V
                                    Filed: December 8, 2016
                                         UNPUBLISHED

****************************
KELSEY HANSTEAD,                      *
                                      *
                  Petitioner,         *      Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
v.                                    *      Influenza;
                                      *      Shoulder Injury; SIRVA;
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                   *      Special Processing Unit (“SPU”)
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                   *
                                      *
                  Respondent.         *
                                      *
****************************
Leah VaSahnja Durant, Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, Washington, DC, for
petitioner.
Ann Donohue Martin, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On August 24, 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”) as a result of her September 29, 2015 influenza vaccination.
Amended Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the
Office of Special Masters.

       On December 5, 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 determined that petitioner’s right
shoulder injury is consistent with SIRVA, and that it was caused in fact by the flu
vaccine she received on September 29, 2015.” Id. at 4. Respondent further agrees that

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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).
no other cause for petitioner’s injury has been identified, that she suffered sequela of
her injury for more than six months, and that she has met the statutory requirements for
entitlement to 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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