Court Opinion

ID: 4309872
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-09-05 16:02:22.101085+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:42:42.123712
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 17-1219V
                                      Filed: May 9, 2018
                                        UNPUBLISHED

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

                       Respondent.

Shealene Priscilla Wasserman, Muller Brazil, LLP, Dresher, PA, for petitioner.
Lara Ann Englund, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1
Dorsey, Chief Special Master:
      On September 8, 2017, 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-Barre Syndrome (“GBS”)
caused by his October 9, 2014 influenza (“flu”) vaccination. Petition at 1. The case was
assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.
        On May 7, 2018, 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 that his position is that petitioner “has satisfied the
criteria set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table and Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation”
for GBS Id. at 3-4.

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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 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