Yanchik v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

In the United States Court of Federal Claims OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS No. 22-1282V

BELINDA YANCHIK, as personal Chief Special Master Corcoran representative of ESTATE OF BETTY MAE SPENCER, Filed: September 16, 2025 Petitioner, v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Respondent.

Joseph Alexander Vuckovich, Maglio Christopher & Toale, PA, Washington, DC, for Petitioner.

Ryan Pohlman Miller, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

DECISION ON JOINT STIPULATION 1 On September 13, 2022, Belinda Yanchik, as personal representative of the estate of Betty Mae Spencer (“Ms. Spencer”), filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, 42 U.S.C. §300aa-10, et seq. 2 (the “Vaccine Act”). On October 9, 2019, Ms. Spencer received an influenza (“flu”) vaccine, a vaccine contained in the Vaccine Injury Table (the “Table”), 42 C.F.R. § 100.3(a).

Petitioner alleges that Ms. Spencer suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome (“GBS”) as defined in the Table; she further alleges that the flu vaccine caused Ms. Spencer’s alleged injury, and that Ms. Spencer suffered the residual effects of her alleged injury for more than six months.

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.

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).

Respondent denies that Ms. Spencer sustained a GBS Table injury; denies that the vaccine caused Ms. Spencer’s alleged injury, or any other injury; and denies that her death was a sequela of a vaccine-related injury.

Nevertheless, on September 15, 2025, the parties filed the attached joint stipulation, stating that a decision should be entered awarding compensation. I find the stipulation reasonable and adopt it as my decision awarding damages, on the terms set forth therein.

Pursuant to the terms stated in the attached Stipulation, I award the following compensation: A lump sum of $95,000.00 to be paid through an ACH deposit to Petitioner’s counsel’s IOLTA account for prompt disbursement to Petitioner, as legal representative of the Estate of Betty Mae Spencer. Stipulation ¶ 8. This amount represents compensation for all items of damages that would be available under Section 15(a). Id. I approve the requested amount for Petitioner’s compensation. In the absence of a motion for review filed pursuant to RCFC Appendix B, the Clerk of Court is directed to 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), entry of judgment can be expedited by the parties’ joint filing of notice renouncing the right to seek review.