Court Opinion

ID: 4445800
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2019-10-10 16:01:18.984291+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:37:09.429601
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 18-1019V
                                       Filed: July 9, 2019
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    ASHLEY BARNETT,

                          Petitioner,                         Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    v.                                                        Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
                                                              Table Injury; Tetanus-diphtheria
    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                   booster (Td) Vaccine; Shoulder Injury
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                           Related to Vaccine Administration
                                                              (SIRVA)
                         Respondent.

Leah VaSahnja Durant, Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, Washington, DC, for
petitioner.
Althea Walker Davis, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                     RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On July 16, 2018, 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 as a result of the tetanus-diphtheria booster (“Td”) vaccine
administered on June 28, 2017, she suffered a 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 July 8, 2019, 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.

1The undersigned intends to post this ruling on the United States Court of Federal Claims' website. 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, the undersigned
agrees that the identified material fits within this definition, the undersigned will redact such material from
public access. Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this
case, undersigned is 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).

2   National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-660, 100 Stat. 3755.
Specifically, respondent concluded that petitioner has satisfied the criteria set forth in
the Vaccine Injury Table (“Table”) and Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation (“QAI”)
Id. at 8. Respondent further agrees that “petitioner had no history of pain, inflammation,
or dysfunction in her left shoulder; her pain and reduced range of motion occurred within
48 hours of receipt of an intramuscular vaccination; her symptoms were limited to the
shoulder in which the vaccine was administered; and no other condition or abnormality
was identified to explain her symptoms.” Id.

     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