United States Court of Federal Claims, 2017

Winters v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

United States Court of Federal Claims · Decided December 15, 2017 · Laura D Millman

Opinion

In the United States Court of Federal Claims

OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS

No. 16-1570V

Filed: November 20, 2017

Not for Publication *************************************

LAURA WINTERS, * *

Petitioner, * * Damages decision based on v. * stipulation; influenza ("flu") vaccine; * Guillain-Barré Syndrome ("GBS") SECRETARY OF HEALTH *

AND HUMAN SERVICES, * *

Respondent. * * *************************************

Howard S. Gold, Wellesley Hills, MA, for petitioner.

Christine M. Becer, Washington, DC, for respondent.

MILLMAN, Special Master

DECISION AWARDING DAMAGES1

On November 17, 2017, the parties filed the attached stipulation in which they agreed to settle this case and described the settlement terms. Petitioner alleges that she suffered from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (“GBS”) that was caused by her receipt of influenza (“flu”) vaccine on November 19, 2014. Respondent denies that the flu vaccine caused petitioner to suffer GBS or any other injury or her current condition. Nonetheless, the parties agreed to resolve this matter informally.

The undersigned finds the terms of the stipulation to be reasonable. The court hereby adopts the parties’ said stipulation, attached hereto, and awards compensation in the amount and on the terms set forth therein. Pursuant to the stipulation, the court awards a lump sum of $101,201.50, representing compensation for all damages ($100,000.00) and reimbursement of a lien for services rendered on behalf of petitioner ($1,201.50), representing all elements of compensation to which petitioner would be entitled under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a). The award shall be in the form of a check for $100,000.00 made payable to petitioner and a check for $1,201.50 made payable jointly to petitioner and

Commonwealth of Massachusetts-CRU Commonwealth of MA

Casualty Recovery

P.O. Box 417811

Boston, MA 02241

In the absence of a motion for review filed pursuant to RCFC Appendix B, the clerk of the court is directed to enter judgment herewith.2

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 20, 2017 /s/ Laura D. Millman Laura D. Millman Special Master

1 Because this unpublished decision contains a reasoned explanation for the special master’s action in this case, the special master intends to post this unpublished decision on the United States Court of Federal Claims’ website, in accordance with the E-Government Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-347, 116 Stat. 2899, 2913 (Dec. 17, 2002). Vaccine Rule 18(b) states that all decisions of the special masters will be made available to the public unless they contain trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged and confidential, or medical or similar information whose disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. When such a decision is filed, petitioner has 14 days to identify and move to delete such information prior to the document’s disclosure. If the special master, upon review, agrees that the identified material fits within the banned categories listed above, the special master shall delete such material from public access. 2 Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), entry of judgment can be expedited by each party, either separately or jointly, filing a notice renouncing the right to seek review.

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