Court Opinion

ID: 3214221
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-06-17 12:06:51.280992+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:49:32.281246
License: Public Domain

In the United States Court of Federal Claims
                                 OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS
                                          No. 16-188V
                                      Filed: May 20, 2016
                                          Unpublished

****************************
SUSAN KELLER,                           *
                                        *
                    Petitioner,         *      Ruling on Entitlement; Concession;
v.                                      *      Influenza (“Flu”) Vaccine; Shoulder
                                        *      Injury Related to Vaccine Administration
SECRETARY OF HEALTH                     *      (“SIRVA”); Special Processing Unit
AND HUMAN SERVICES,                     *      (“SPU”)
                                        *
                    Respondent.         *
                                        *
****************************
Ronald C. Homer, Conway, Homer & Chin-Caplan, P.C., Boston, MA, for petitioner.
Traci R. Patton, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

                                    RULING ON ENTITLEMENT 1

Dorsey, Chief Special Master:

         On February 8, 2016, Susan Keller (“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 receiving an influenza
(“flu”) vaccine on November 17, 2014, she suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine
administration (“SIRVA”). Petition at 1. The case was assigned to the Special
Processing Unit (“SPU”) of the Office of Special Masters.

       On May 19, 2016, respondent filed her Rule 4(c) Report in which she conceded
that petitioner is entitled to compensation in this case. Respondent’s Rule 4(c) Report
at 1. Specifically, respondent concluded that petitioner’s alleged injury is consistent with
SIRVA, and that it was caused in fact by the flu vaccine she received on or about
November 17, 2014. Id. Respondent further stated that no other causes for petitioner’s
SIRVA were identified, and records show that she suffered the sequela of her injury for

1 Because this unpublished ruling contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the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.

2National 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).
more than six months. Id. Thus, based on the medical evidence, petitioner has met the
statutory requirements for entitlement to compensation. Id.

     In view of respondent’s concession and the evidence in the record, the
undersigned finds that petitioner is entitled to compensation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

                                s/Nora Beth Dorsey
                                Nora Beth Dorsey
                                Chief Special Master

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