Court Opinion

ID: 4535626
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-05-20 20:03:17.0466+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:27:31.237713
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 19-200V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    DEBORAH ANN PORTER-PUGH,                                  Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: April 17, 2020
    v.
                                                              Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Table Injury; Tetanus Diphtheria
                                                              acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine;
                        Respondent.                           Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine
                                                              Administration (SIRVA)

Jimmy A. Zgheib, Zgheib Sayad, P.C., White Plains, NY, for petitioner.

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

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

        On February 4, 2019, Deborah Ann Porter-Pugh 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 shoulder injury related
to vaccine administration (“SIRVA”) as a result of a tetanus, diphtheria, acellular
pertussis (“Tdap”) vaccine administered on March 6, 2013. Petition at 1. The case was
assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On April 14, 2020, 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

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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).
at 1. Specifically, Respondent concludes that “petitioner’s alleged injury is consistent
with SIRVA of the left arm and that it meets the requirements of a Table injury claim for
SIRVA stemming from the tetanus vaccination on March 6, 2013.” Id. at 4. Respondent
further agrees that he “did not identify any other causes for petitioner’s injury, and
records show that she suffered the sequela of this injury for more than 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

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