Court Opinion

ID: 4095043
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-11-02 20:02:55.053493+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:10:29.779499
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 16-255V
                                     Filed: August 26, 2016
                                         UNPUBLISHED

****************************
CHERYL BOURGERIE,                         *
                                          *
                     Petitioner,          *     Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
v.                                        *     Influenza (“Flu”) Vaccination; Shoulder
                                          *     Injury Related to Vaccine Administration
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                       *     (“SIRVA”); Special Processing Unit
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                       *     (“SPU”)
                                          *
                     Respondent.          *
                                          *
****************************
Jeffrey S. Pop, Jeffrey S. Pop, Attorney at Law, Beverly Hills, CA, for petitioner.
Kelly Heidrich, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On February 23, 2016, 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 her September 23, 2014 influenza (“flu”)
vaccination caused her to suffer Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration
(“SIRVA”). Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the
Office of Special Masters.

       On August 25, 2016, respondent filed her Rule 4(c) report in which she concedes
that petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule 4(c) Report
at 1. Specifically, respondent

        has concluded that petitioner’s alleged injury is consistent with shoulder
        injury related to vaccine administration (“SIRVA”), and that it was caused
1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the
undersigned intends 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). 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.

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).
      in fact by the flu vaccine she received on or about September 23, 2014.
      [Respondent] did not identify any other causes for petitioner’s SIRVA, and
      records show that she suffered the sequela of her injury for more than six
      months.

Id. at 2-3. Respondent further agrees that based on the medical records “petitioner has
met the statutory requirements for entitlement to compensation” and “satisfied all legal
prerequisites for compensation under the Act.” Id. at 3.

     In view of respondent’s concession and the evidence before me, 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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