Court Opinion

ID: 4518976
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-03-24 16:02:26.578032+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:24:31.680528
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 18-1493V
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    MELISSA HARDIN,                                           Chief Special Master Corcoran

                         Petitioner,                          Filed: February 11, 2020
    v.
                                                              Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   Damages Decision Based on Proffer;
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Influenza (Flu) Vaccine; Shoulder
                                                              Injury Related to Vaccine
                        Respondent.                           Administration (SIRVA)

Philip James Roth, Jr., Marshall, Roth & Gregory, PC, Asheville, NC, for petitioner.

Traci R. Patton, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                DECISION AWARDING DAMAGES1

       On September 27, 2018, Melissa Hardin 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 an influenza (“flu”) vaccine administered on
September 28, 2015. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing
Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

      On February 7, 2020, Respondent filed a combined Rule 4(c) Report and Proffer
on award of compensation (“Rule 4(c) Report and Proffer”) indicating Petitioner should
be awarded $112,280.65. See Rule 4(c) Report and Proffer at 7. On February 11,
2020, a ruling on entitlement was issued, finding Petitioner entitled to compensation for
her SIRVA.

1
  Because this unpublished decision contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am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 decision 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 “§” references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
In the Rule 4(c) Report and Proffer, Respondent represented that Petitioner agrees with
the proffered award. Id. Based on the record as a whole, I find that Petitioner is entitled
to an award as stated in the Rule 4(c) Report and Proffer.

      Pursuant to the terms stated in the Proffer, I award Petitioner a lump sum
payment of $112,280.65 in the form of a check payable to Petitioner. This amount
represents compensation for all damages that would be available under § 15(a).

       The clerk of the court is directed to enter judgment in accordance with this
decision.3

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                          s/Brian H. Corcoran
                                          Brian H. Corcoran
                                          Chief Special Master

3
  Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), entry of judgment can be expedited by the parties’ joint filing of notice
renouncing the right to seek review.

                                                      2