Sciaretta v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

In the United States Court of Federal Claims

OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS No. 24-1387V

BRANDON SCIARETTA,

Chief Special Master Corcoran Petitioner, Filed: June 18, 2026 v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,

Respondent.

Lawrence R. Cohan, Saltz, Mongeluzzi & Bendesky, Philadelphia, PA, for Petitioner. Jay Travis Williamson, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

DECISION ON ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS 1 On September 6, 2024, Brandon Sciaretta 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 he suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (“SIRVA”) following a tetanus vaccine he received on May 6, 2023. Petition at 1. On July 30, 2025, I issued a decision awarding compensation to Petitioner based on the Respondent’s proffer. ECF No. 25.

1Because 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.

Petitioner has now filed a motion for attorney’s fees and costs, requesting an award of $18,533.10 (representing $17,459.70 in fees plus $1,073.40 in costs). Motion for Attorneys’ Fees and Costs (“Motion”) filed March 6, 2026, ECF No. 30. Furthermore, counsel for Petitioner filed a signed statement stating that no personal out-of-pocket expenses were incurred. Id. at 28.

Respondent reacted to the motion on March 10, 2026, stating that he is satisfied the statutory requirements for an award of fees and costs are met in this case, but deferring resolution of the amount to be awarded to my discretion. Response at 2-4, ECF No. 32. Petitioner filed no reply thereafter.

ANALYSIS

The Vaccine Act permits an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs for successful claimants. Section 15(e). Counsel must submit fee requests that include contemporaneous and specific billing records indicating the service performed, the number of hours expended on the service, and the name of the person performing the service. See Savin v. Sec’y of Health & Human Servs., 85 Fed. Cl. 313, 316-18 (2008). Counsel should not include in their fee requests hours that are “excessive, redundant, or otherwise unnecessary.” Saxton v. Sec’y of Health & Human Servs., 3 F.3d 1517, 1521 (Fed. Cir. 1993) (quoting Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 434 (1983)). It is “well within the special master’s discretion to reduce the hours to a number that, in [her] experience and judgment, [is] reasonable for the work done.” Id. at 1522. Furthermore, the special master may reduce a fee request sua sponte, apart from objections raised by respondent and without providing a petitioner notice and opportunity to respond. See Sabella v. Sec’y of Health & Human Servs., 86 Fed. Cl. 201, 209 (2009). A special master need not engage in a line-by-line analysis of petitioner’s fee application when reducing fees. Broekelschen v. Sec’y of Health & Human Servs., 102 Fed. Cl. 719, 729 (2011).

The petitioner “bears the burden of establishing the hours expended, the rates charged, and the expenses incurred.” Wasson v. Sec’y of Health & Human Servs., 24 Cl. Ct. 482, 484 (1991). The Petitioner “should present adequate proof [of the attorney’s fees and costs sought] at the time of the submission.” Wasson, 24 Cl. Ct. at 484 n.1. Petitioner’s counsel “should make a good faith effort to exclude from a fee request hours that are excessive, redundant, or otherwise unnecessary, just as a lawyer in private practice ethically is obligated to exclude such hours from his fee submission.” Hensley, 461 U.S. at 434.

ATTORNEY FEES

I have reviewed the billing records submitted with Petitioner’s request. The rates requested for work performed by Lawrence Cohan through the end of 2025 are reasonable and consistent with our prior determinations. Petitioner has also requested that I apply the hourly rate of $214.00 for paralegal work performed by Leah Amen in 2025. However, this rate exceeds the Vaccine Program’s 2025 published ranges for paralegals. I shall instead compensate all paralegal work performed in 2025 at the lower rate of $200.00 per hour, placing Ms. Amen within the applicable Forum range. Application of this lower rate reduces the fees to be awarded herein by $26.60. 3

Petitioner has also requested the hourly rate of $679.00 for 2026 work performed by attorney Lawrence Cohan, representing a rate increase of $65.00 from the previous year. I find the proposed increase to be reasonable and hereby award it herein. And all time billed to the matter was also reasonably incurred.

ATTORNEY COSTS

Petitioner has provided supporting documentation for all claimed costs. ECF No. 30 at 14-26. Respondent offered no specific objection to the rates or amounts sought. I find the requested costs reasonable and hereby award them in full.

CONCLUSION

The Vaccine Act permits an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs for successful claimants. Section 15(e). Accordingly, I hereby GRANT IN PART Petitioner’s Motion for attorney’s fees and costs. Petitioner is awarded attorneys’ fees and costs in the total amount of $18,506.50 (representing $17,433.10 in fees plus $1,073.40 in costs) to be paid through an ACH deposit to petitioner’s counsel’s IOLTA account for prompt disbursement. 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. 4 3 This amount is calculated as follows: $214 - $200 = $14 x 1.90 hrs = $26.60. 4 Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), the parties may expedite entry of judgment by filing a joint notice renouncing their right to seek review.

IT IS SO ORDERED. s/Brian H. Corcoran Brian H. Corcoran Chief Special Master