Court Opinion

ID: 4448978
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2019-10-22 20:02:11.930956+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:45:33.286244
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 18-0611V
                                       Filed: July 29, 2019
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    ROBERT FUERSTENAU,

                         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.

Ryan Alan Yeary, Caminez & Yeary, P.A., Monticello, FL, for petitioner.
Jennifer Leigh Reynaud, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

        On April 30, 2018, 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 he suffered Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) after receiving
the trivalent influenza vaccination on October 5, 2015. Petition at 1, ¶ 2. Petitioner
further alleges that he received the vaccination in the United States, that he suffered the
residual effects of his GBS for more than six months, and that neither he nor any other
party has filed a civil action or received compensation for his GBS. Id. at ¶¶ 2, 11-13.
The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.
1The undersigned intends to post this ruling on the United States Court of Federal Claims' website. 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, the undersigned
agrees that the identified material fits within this definition, the undersigned will redact such material from
public access. Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this
case, undersigned is 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).

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 July 26, 2019, 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 indicates “[i]t is [his] position that petitioner has satisfied the
criteria set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table (“Table”) and the Qualifications and Aids to
Interpretation (“QAI”).” Id. at 4 (citing 42 C.F.R. §§ 100.3(a)(XIV)(D), 100.3(c)(15)).

     In view of respondent’s position and the evidence of record, 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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