United States Court of Federal Claims, 2026

Flatt v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

United States Court of Federal Claims · Decided January 8, 2026 · Thomas L. Gowen

Opinion

In the United States Court of Federal Claims

OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS

Filed: November 6, 2025 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MARY FLATT, * *

Petitioner, * No. 22-416V * v. * Special Master Gowen *

SECRETARY OF HEALTH *

AND HUMAN SERVICES, * *

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

Leah V. Durant, Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, Washington, D.C., for petitioner. James V. Lopez, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for respondent.

DECISION ON STIPULATION1 On April 11, 2022, Mary Flatt (“petitioner”) filed her claim in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (“VICP”).2 Petition, pmbl., ECF No. 1. Petitioner alleges that the influenza (“flu”) vaccine caused her to suffer injuries including Guillain-Barré syndrome (“GBS”). Id.

On November 4, 2025, respondent filed a stipulation providing that a decision should be entered awarding compensation to petitioner. Stipulation, ECF No. 52. Respondent denies that the flu vaccine petitioner received caused her to suffer GBS, or any other injury, or her current condition. Id. at ¶ 6. Nevertheless, maintaining their respective positions, the parties now agree that the issues between them settled and that a decision should be entered awarding petitioner compensation in accordance with the stipulation attached hereto as Appendix A. Id. at ¶ 7.

The stipulation provides:

1) A lump sum payment of $95,000.00 to be paid through an ACH deposit to petitioner’s counsel’s IOLTA account for prompt disbursement to petitioner. This amount represents compensation for all damages that would be available under U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a).

I adopt the parties’ stipulation attached hereto, and award compensation in the amount and on the terms set forth therein. The Clerk of the Court SHALL ENTER JUDGMENT in accordance with the terms of the parties’ stipulation.3

IT IS SO ORDERED. s/Thomas L. Gowen Thomas L. Gowen Special Master

1 Pursuant to the E-Government Act of 2002, see 44 U.S.C. § 3501 note (2012), because this decision contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, I am required to post it to a publicly available website. This decision will appear at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscourts/national/cofc or on the Court of Federal Claims website. This means the decision will be available to anyone with access to the Internet. Before the decision 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 decision will be posted on the court’s website without any changes. Id. 2 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 et seq. (2023) (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. 3 Entry of judgment is expedited by each party’s filing notice renouncing the right to seek review. Vaccine Rule 11(a).

Case-law data current through September 30, 2026. Source: CourtListener bulk data.