United States Court of Federal Claims, 2024

Brummett v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

United States Court of Federal Claims · Decided April 23, 2024 · Brian H. Corcoran

Opinion

In the United States Court of Federal Claims

OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS No. 21-1235V

HELEN BRUMMETT,

Chief Special Master Corcoran Petitioner,

v. Filed: March 21, 2024 SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND Special Processing Unit (SPU); HUMAN SERVICES, Attorney’s Fees and Costs

Respondent.

Nancy Routh Meyers, Turning Point Litigation, Greensboro, NC, for Petitioner. Mitchell Jones, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

DECISION ON ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS 1 On April 16, 2021, Helen Brummett 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 as a result of an influenza vaccination she received on September 27, 2020. Petition at 1. On October 13, 2023, I issued a decision awarding compensation to Petitioner based on the Respondent’s proffer. ECF No. 37.

Petitioner has now filed a motion for attorney’s fees and costs, requesting an award of $9,928.61 (representing $9,473.50 in fees plus $455.11 in costs). Petitioner’s Final Motion for Attorney Fees and Cost (“Motion”) filed December 29, 2023, ECF No. 43. In accordance with General Order No. 9, counsel for Petitioner states that Petitioner did not personally incur any out-of-pocket expenses in pursuit of this claim. ECF 43-2.

Respondent reacted to the motion on January 5, 2024, indicating that he is satisfied that the statutory requirements for an award of attorney’s fees and costs are met in this case, but deferring resolution of the amount to be awarded to my discretion. Respondent’s Response to Motion at 2-3, ECF No. 44. Petitioner filed his response on January 5, 2024, concurring with Respondent’s recommendation for the Chief Special Master to award fees and costs at his discretion. ECF No. 45.

I have reviewed the billing records submitted with Petitioner’s request. In my experience, the request appears reasonable, and I find no cause to reduce the requested hours or rates. Furthermore, Petitioner has provided supporting documentation for all claimed costs. ECF No. 43-1 at 10 – 15. Respondent offered no specific objection to the rates or amounts sought.

The Vaccine Act permits an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs for successful claimants. Section 15(e). Accordingly, I hereby GRANT Petitioner’s Motion for attorney’s fees and costs. I award a total of $9,928.61 as a lump sum in the form of a check jointly payable to Petitioner and Petitioner’s counsel, Turning Point Litigation. In the absence of a timely-filed motion for review (see Appendix B to the Rules of the Court), the Clerk of Court shall enter judgment in accordance with this decision. 3 IT IS SO ORDERED. s/Brian H. Corcoran Brian H. Corcoran Chief Special Master

3 Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), the parties may expedite entry of judgment by filing a joint notice renouncing their right to seek review.

1 Because this Decision contains a reasoned explanation for the action taken in this case, it must be made publicly accessible and will be posted on the United States Court of Federal Claims' website, and/or at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscourts/national/cofc, in accordance with the E-Government Act of 2002. 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2018) (Federal Management and Promotion of Electronic Government Services). This means the Decision 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 (2018).

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