Court Opinion

ID: 8374609
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-10-19 21:01:25.876255+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:46:21.285527
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                         No. 20-1943V
                                        UNPUBLISHED

    BRENDA HEDEEN,                                          Chief Special Master Corcoran

                        Petitioner,
    v.                                                      Filed: September 19, 2022

    SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND                                 Special Processing Unit (SPU);
    HUMAN SERVICES,                                         Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
                                                            Table Injury; Influenza (Flu);
                       Respondent.                          Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine
                                                            Administration (SIRVA).

Ronald Craig Homer, Conway, Homer, P.C., Boston, MA, for Petitioner.

Madelyn Weeks, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

                                   RULING ON ENTITLEMENT1

       On December 22, 2020, Brenda Hedeen 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”) vaccination administered on
November 3, 2019. Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special Processing Unit
of the Office of Special Masters.

        On September 19, 2022, 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 states that Petitioner has satisfied the criteria set
forth in the Vaccine Injury Table (“Table”) and the Qualifications and Aids to Interpretation

1
  Because this unpublished Ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required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 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, 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 section references to the Vaccine Act will be to the pertinent subparagraph of 42 U.S.C. §
300aa (2012).
(“QAI”) for SIRVA. Id. at 3-4 (citing 42 C.F.R. §§ 100.3(a), (c)(10)). Respondent further
agrees that the case was timely filed, that the vaccine was received in the United States,
and that Petitioner satisfies the statutory severity requirement by suffering the residual
effects or complications of her injury for more than six months after vaccine
administration. Id. at 6 (citing Section 11(c)(1)(D)(i)).

       In view of Respondent’s position and the evidence of record, I find that
Petitioner is entitled to compensation.

      IT IS SO ORDERED.

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

                                            2