Court Opinion

ID: 4406159
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2019-06-12 20:02:09.278211+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:52:39.148195
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                  OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 17-1935V
                                       Filed: April 5, 2019
                                         UNPUBLISHED

    JAMES PHILLIPS,

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

                        Respondent.

Leah VaSahnja Durant, Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, Washington, DC, for
petitioner.
Amy Paula Kokot, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

        On December 13, 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 his receipt of an influenza (“flu”) vaccine on
December 28, 2016, caused him to suffer Guillain-Barré syndrome (“GBS”). Petition at
¶¶ 1, 3-4. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special
Masters.

1
  The 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 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this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. Hereinafter, for
ease of citation, all “§” references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
        On April 4, 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.
Specifically, respondent “has concluded that petitioner suffered the Table injury of GBS
following a flu vaccine within the Table time period. See 42 C.F.R. §§ 100.3(a)(XIV)(D),
(c)(15). In addition, there is not preponderant medical evidence demonstrating that
petitioner’s condition was due to a factor unrelated to the flu vaccine. See 42 U.S.C. §
300aa-13(a)(1). Finally, the medical records outlined above establish that petitioner
suffered the residual effects of his GBS for more than six months.” Id. at 4.

     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