Court Opinion

ID: 8313541
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-10-17 17:01:46.505732+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:44:50.743550
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 22-0190V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    MATTHEW J. MILLER,                                      Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: September 15, 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.

Milton Clay Ragsdale, IV, Ragsdale LLC, Birmingham, AL, for Petitioner.

Zoe Wade, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

       On February 22, 2022, Matthew J. Miller 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 injuries including Guillain-Barre
Syndrome (“GBS”) caused by an influenza (“flu”) vaccine received on October 7, 2020.
Petition at 1. Petitioner further alleges he received the vaccine in the United States, he
has experienced sequela of his injury for longer than six months, and neither Petitioner
nor any other party has filed any other claim or lawsuit, or entered into any settlement,
related to the injuries he sustained. Petition at ¶¶ 2, 13, 14; Ex. 1. 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  Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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).
        On September 15, 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 agrees that “petitioner has satisfied the criteria set
forth in the Vaccine Injury Table (“Table”) and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation
(“QAI”), which afford petitioner a presumption of causation if onset of GBS occurs
between three and forty-two days after a seasonal flu vaccination and there is no apparent
alternative cause.” Id. at 5.

       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