Court Opinion

ID: 7801087
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-08-16 21:01:34.173121+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:29:14.255449
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 21-1554V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

 DARCY WEIDNER,                                             Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: July 8, 2022
 v.
                                                            Special Processing Unit (SPU);
 SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                    Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
 HUMAN SERVICES,                                            Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                            Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
                       Respondent.

David John Carney, Green & Schafle LLC, Philadelphia, PA, for Petitioner.

Michael Johnson Dunn Brown, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for
Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

       On July 7, 2021, Darcy Weidner 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 from Guillain-Barre Syndrome (“GBS”)
as a result of an influenza vaccination she received on October 4, 2019. Petition at 1.
The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On July 8, 2022, 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 states that “Petitioner’s flu vaccination was adequately
documented; the onset of symptoms was consistent with the Vaccine Injury Table onset

1 Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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 section references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
criteria; clinical findings and course of peripheral neuropathy are consistent with a
common subtype of GBS in accordance with the Table Qualifications and Aids to
Interpretation; and no other condition or abnormality was identified to explain her
symptoms.” Id. at 8. Respondent further agrees that “Petitioner has satisfied the statutory
requirement that Petitioner’s injury lasted for at least six months.” Id.

       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