Petrie v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

United States Court of Federal Claims·Decided April 14, 2026·No. 18-1584V·Unpublished

Opinion

In the United States Court of Federal Claims OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS Filed: March 17, 2026

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MARCIA PETRIE, as Personal * Representative of the Estate of * DANIEL J. PETRIE, * UNPUBLISHED * Petitioner, * No. 18-1584V * v. * Special Master Dorsey * SECRETARY OF HEALTH * Attorneys’ Fees and Costs. AND HUMAN SERVICES, * * Respondent. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nancy Routh Meyers, Turning Point Litigation, Greensboro, NC for Petitioner. Naseem Kourosh, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

DECISION ON ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS 1

On October 12, 2018, Marcia Petrie (“Petitioner”), as personal representative of the estate of Daniel J. Petrie (“Mr. Petrie”), filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (“Vaccine Program”) 2 alleging that Mr. Petrie suffered transverse myelitis (“TM”) as a result of an influenza (“flu”) vaccination administered on November 5, 2015. Petition at Preamble (ECF No. 1). During the case’s pendency, on October 18, 2022, Mr.

1 Because this unpublished Decision contains a reasoned explanation for the action in this case, the undersigned is required to post it on the United States Court of Federal Claims’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, the undersigned agrees that the identified material fits within this definition, the undersigned will redact such material from public access. 2 The Program comprises Part 2 of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, 42 U.S.C. §§ 300aa-10 et seq. (hereinafter “Vaccine Act” or “the Act”). Hereafter, individual section references will be to 42 U.S.C. § 300aa of the Act.

1 Petrie passed away. Petitioner further alleged that Mr. Petrie’s death was the sequela of his alleged vaccine-related injury. On March 7, 2025, the undersigned issued a decision based on stipulation. Decision Based on Stipulation dated Mar. 7, 2025 (ECF No. 166).

On September 3, 2025, Petitioner filed a motion for attorneys’ fees and costs. Petitioner’s Motion for Attorneys’ Fees and Costs (“Pet. Mot.”), filed Sept. 3, 2025 (ECF No. 171). Petitioner requests compensation in the amount of $181,066.27, representing $131,063.80 in attorneys’ fees and costs to Turning Point Litigation, $31,302.47 in attorneys’ fees and costs to Ward Black Law, and $18,700.00 in expert costs to Dr. Steinman. Id. at 1. Petitioner warrants that she has personally incurred costs of $10,511.57 relating to probate. Id. at 2. Thus, in total, Petitioner requests $191,577.84.

Respondent filed his response on September 5, 2025, stating he “is satisfied the statutory requirements for an award of attorneys’ fees and costs are met in this case.” Respondent’s Response to Pet. Mot. (“Resp. Response”), filed Sept. 5, 2025, at 2 (ECF No. 172). However, Respondent indicated it was not clear whether Petitioner’s request for reimbursement of expenses incurred to retain a probate attorney “was incurred solely for the purpose of receiving, disbursing, and administering the vaccine settlement proceeds.” Id. at 4 n.2 (quoting Pet. Mot. at 2) (citing Statement of Pet. Personal Costs, filed Sept. 3, 2025 (ECF No. 171-4)). Respondent further noted he “is not aware of [] precedent pertaining to a person becoming the representative of the estate of his or her deceased spouse, as this would, in many instances, occur regardless of whether a vaccine claim had been filed on behalf of the deceased.” Id. Respondent deferred resolution of this issue to the Special Master. Id.

Petitioner filed a reply on September 11, 2025, maintaining Petitioner’s probate costs are reimbursable under the Vaccine Program and citing supportive case law. Pet. Reply in Support of Pet. Mot. (“Pet. Reply”), filed Sept. 11, 2025 (ECF No. 173). Petitioner also amended her fees request for preparation of her reply by $1,274.00. Id. at 3-5. This brings Petitioner’s total request to $192,851.84.

The matter is now ripe for disposition.

For the reasons discussed below, the undersigned GRANTS IN PART Petitioner’s motion and awards a total of $184,063.82.

I. DISCUSSION

Under the Vaccine Act, the special master shall award reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs for any petition that results in an award of compensation. § 15(e)(1). When compensation is not awarded, the special master “may” award reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs “if the special master or court determines that the petition was brought in good faith and there was a reasonable basis for the claim for which the petition was brought.” Id. In this case, because Petitioner was awarded compensation pursuant to a stipulation, she is entitled to a final award of reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.

2 A. Reasonable Attorneys’ Fees

The Federal Circuit has approved use of the lodestar approach to determine reasonable attorney’s fees and costs under the Vaccine Act. Avera v. Sec’y of Health & Hum. Servs., 515 F.3d 1343, 1349 (Fed. Cir. 2008). Using the lodestar approach, a court first determines “an initial estimate of a reasonable attorney’s fee by ‘multiplying the number of hours reasonably expended on the litigation times a reasonable hourly rate.’” Id. at 1347-58 (quoting Blum v. Stenson, 465 U.S. 886, 888 (1984)). Then, the court may make an upward or downward departure from the initial calculation of the fee award based on other specific findings. Id. at 1348.

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 & Hum. 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 & Hum. 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 & Hum. Servs., 86 Fed. Cl. 201, 209 (2009).

A special master need not engage in a line-by-line analysis of a petitioner’s fee application when reducing fees. Broekelschen v. Sec’y of Health & Hum. Servs., 102 Fed. Cl. 719, 729 (2011). Special masters may rely on their experience with the Vaccine Program and its attorneys to determine the reasonable number of hours expended.

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