Court Opinion

ID: 4519619
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-03-26 12:01:33.020866+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:50:23.592939
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 19-1491V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    BRIAN OBERSCHMID and HEATHER                              Chief Special Master Corcoran
    OBERSCHMID, as parents and natural
    guardians of minor child, J.O.,                           Filed: February 18, 2020

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

                        Respondent.

Kate Gerayne Westad, SiebenCarey, Minneapolis, MN, for petitioner.

Laurie Wiesner, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

        On September 26, 2019, Brian and Heather Oberschmid filed a petition for
compensation, on behalf of their minor child, J.O., under the National Vaccine Injury
Compensation Program, 42 U.S.C. §300aa-10, et seq.,2 (the “Vaccine Act”). Petitioners
allege that J.O. suffered Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), which meets the Table
definition for GBS, after receiving the influenza vaccination on September 27, 2016.
Petition at 1, ¶¶ 1, 12. 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1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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.

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 February 13, 2020, Respondent filed his Rule 4(c) report in which he
concedes that Petitioners are entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule
4(c) Report at 1. Specifically, Respondent concludes “that petitioners have satisfied the
criteria set forth in the revised Vaccine Injury Table (Table) and the Qualifications and
Aids to Interpretation (QAI), which afford petitioners a presumption of causation if the
onset of GBS occurs between three and forty-two days after a seasonal flu vaccination
and there is no apparent alternative cause.” Id. at 4. Respondent further agrees that
“based on the current record, petitioners have satisfied all legal prerequisites for
compensation under the Act.” 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