Court Opinion

ID: 4910796
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-09-14 17:04:08.220904+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:13:19.279997
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 19-1974V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    CHRISTINA LEPRE,                                        Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,                         Filed: August 12, 2021
    v.
                                                            Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                 Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                         Table Injury; Influenza (Flu) Vaccine;
                                                            Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine
                       Respondent.                          Administration (SIRVA)

James M. Merrigan, Rawson, Merrigan, & Litner, LLP, Boston, MA, for Petitioner.

Kimberly Shubert Davey, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

        On December 30, 2019, Christina Lepre 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 left shoulder impingement and a
mild partial rotator cuff tear with tendinopathy of the supraspinatus, which was ‘caused in
fact’ by her receipt of the” trivalent influenza (“flu”) vaccine on March 5, 2018. Petition at
1, ¶ 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special
Masters.

       On August 12, 2021, 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 “has concluded that [P]etitioner’s alleged injury is consistent

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  Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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).
with SIRVA, as defined on the Vaccine Injury Table.” Id. at 4. Respondent further agrees
that “based on the record as it now stands, [P]etitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites
for compensation under the Act.” 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