Casey v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

In the United States Court of Federal Claims OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS Filed: September 23, 2024 * * * * * * * * * * * * * JOHN CASEY, * * Petitioner, * No. 19-1184V * v. * Special Master Gowen * SECRETARY OF HEALTH * AND HUMAN SERVICES, * * Respondent. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Patrick Kelly, Conway Homer, P.C., Boston, MA, for petitioner.

Mark Hellie, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Washington, DC, for respondent.

DECISION ON STIPULATION1 On August 13, 2019, John Casey, (“petitioner”) filed a Petition for Compensation in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. 2 See Petition (ECF No. 1). Petitioner alleged that he suffered Guillain-Barre syndrome (“GBS”) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (“CIDP”) as a result of the influenza vaccine he received on September 28, 2017. Id. at Preamble.

On September 23, 2024, respondent filed a stipulation providing that a decision should be entered awarding compensation to petitioner. Stipulation ¶ 7 (ECF No. 101). Respondent “denies that the flu vaccine caused petitioner to suffer from GBS, CIDP, or any other injury or his current condition.” Id. at ¶ 6. Nevertheless, maintaining their respective positions, the parties “now agree Pursuant to the E-Government Act of 2002, see 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2012), because this opinion contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required to post it on the website of the United States Court of Federal Claims. The court’s website is at http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/aggregator/sources/7. This means the opinion will be available to anyone with access to the Internet. Before the opinion is posted on the court’s website, each party has 14 days to file a motion requesting redaction “of any information furnished by that party: (1) that is a trade secret or commercial or financial in substance and is privileged or confidential; or (2) that includes medical files or similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy.” Vaccine Rule 18(b). “An objecting party must provide the court with a proposed redacted version of the decision.” Id. If neither party files a motion for redaction within 14 days, the opinion will be posted on the court’s website without any changes. Id. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is set forth in Part 2 of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-660, 100 Stat. 3755, codified as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 300aa-1 to -34 (2012) (Vaccine Act or the Act). All citations in this decision to individual sections of the Vaccine Act are to 42 U.S.C.A. § 300aa. that the issues between them shall be settled and that a decision should be entered awarding” compensation according to the terms of the Stipulation attached hereto as Appendix A. Id. at ¶ 7.

The Stipulation provides: 1) A lump sum of $197,200.00, which represents compensation for first year life care expenses ($22,200.00) and combined lost earnings, pain and suffering, and past unreimbursable expenses ($175,000.00) in the form of a check payable to petitioner; 2) An amount sufficient to purchase the annuity contract described in paragraph of the Stipulation, paid to the life insurance company from which the annuity will be purchased (the “Life Insurance Company”).

These amounts represent compensation for all damages that would be available under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a).

Id. at ¶ 8.

I adopt the parties’ Stipulation attached hereto and award compensation in the amount and on the terms set forth therein. Accordingly, the Clerk of Court SHALL ENTER JUDGMENT in accordance with the terms of the Stipulation and this Decision. 3 IT IS SO ORDERED.

s/ Thomas L. Gowen Thomas L. Gowen Special Master

Entry of judgment is expedited by each party’s filing notice renouncing the right to seek review. Vaccine Rule 11(a).