Court Opinion

ID: 3202463
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-05-11 12:01:58.964278+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:26:16.141957
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 15-1362V
                                     Filed: March 10, 2016
                                          Unpublished

****************************
ANGELINE HOWK,                             *
                                           *
                     Petitioner,           *     Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
                                           *     Influenza (“Flu”) Vaccine; Shoulder
                                           *     Injury Related to Vaccine Administration
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                        *     (“SIRVA”); Special Processing Unit
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                        *     (“SPU”)
                                           *
                     Respondent.           *
                                           *
****************************
Maximillian J. Muller, Muller Brazil, LLP, Dresher, PA, for petitioner.
Lara Ann Englund, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

       On November 12, 2015, Ms. Howk 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 alleged that she suffered a shoulder injury as a result of an
influenza (“flu”) vaccine administered to her on September 18, 2014. Petition at 1. This
case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit of the Office of Special Masters.

       On March 10, 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 1-4. Specifically, respondent states that petitioner’s shoulder injury was “caused-in-
fact by the flu vaccine administered in her left arm on September 18, 2014… Therefore,
based on the current record, petitioner has satisfied all legal prerequisites for
compensation under the Act. Id. at 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  Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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.
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 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

                                       2