Celic v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

In the United States Court of Federal Claims OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS No. 17-139V Filed: May 13, 2019 Not to be Published ************************************* LAWRENCE CELIC, as personal * representative of the estate of JUDITH * CELIC, deceased * * Damages decision based on Petitioner, * stipulation; influenza (“flu”) v. * vaccine; Chronic Inflammatory * Demyelinating Polyneuropathy SECRETARY OF HEALTH * (“CIDP”) AND HUMAN SERVICES, * * Respondent. * * ************************************* Ronald C. Homer, Boston, MA, for petitioner.

Traci R. Patton, Washington, DC, for respondent.

MILLMAN, Special Master DECISION AWARDING DAMAGES1 On May 10, 2019, the parties filed the attached stipulation in which they agreed to settle this case and described the settlement terms. Petitioner alleges that Judith Celic suffered from Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (“CIDP”) that was caused by her receipt of influenza (“flu”) vaccine on October 16, 2014. Petitioner further alleges that Ms. Celic experienced the residual effects of this injury that led to her death on May 26, 2018.

Because this unpublished decision contains a reasoned explanation for the special master’s action in this case, the special master intends to post this unpublished decision on the United States Court of Federal Claims’ website, in accordance with the E-Government Act of 2002, 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2012) (Federal Management and Promotion of Electronic Government Services). This means the decision will be available to anyone with access to the Internet. 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.

Respondent denies that the flu vaccine caused petitioner to suffer CIDP or any other injury and further denies that the flu vaccine caused Ms. Celic’s death. 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 $255,000.00, representing compensation for all damages that would be available under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a) (2012). The award shall be in the form of a check for $255,000.00 made payable to petitioner.

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: May 13, 2019 /s/ Laura D. Millman Laura D. Millman Special Master

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.