Roberts v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

United States Court of Federal Claims·Decided October 23, 2014·No. 09-427·Unpublished

Opinion

In the United States Court of Federal Claims OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS No. 09-427V (Filed October 1, 2014) NOT TO BE PUBLISHED

***************************** * AMBER ROBERTS, * * Decision based on proffer; Petitioners, * tetanus-diptheria-acellular * pertussis (“Tdap”) vaccine; v. * transverse myelitis (“TM”) * SECRETARY OF HEALTH * AND HUMAN SERVICES, * * Respondent. * * *****************************

Thomas K. Herren, Herren and Adams, Lexington, KY, for Petitioner.

Ann D. Martin, U.S. Dep’t of Justice, Washington, D.C., for Respondent.

DECISION AWARDING DAMAGES1 On July 1, 2009, Amber Roberts filed a petition seeking compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (“Vaccine Program”).1 Petitioner alleges that she suffered from transverse myelitis as a result of receiving the tetanus-diptheria-acellular pertussis (“Tdap”) vaccine.

Respondent filed a Proffer on October 1, 2014, recommending an award of compensation for Petitioner (a copy of which is attached). I have reviewed the file, and based upon that review, I conclude that the parties’ proffer is reasonable. I therefore adopt it as my decision in awarding damages on the terms set forth therein.

The Proffer awards:

A. A lump sum payment of $478,905.74, representing compensation for life care expenses expected to be incurred during the first year after judgment ($204,750.74) and Trust seed funds for the U.S. Grantor Reversionary Trust established for the benefit of Amber Roberts ($274,155.00), in the form of a check payable to Bank of the Bluegrass & Trust Company, as trustee.

1 The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program comprises 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.A. § 300aa-10 – 34 (2006)) [hereinafter “Vaccine Act” or “the Act”]. Individual sections references hereafter will be to § 300aa of the Act. B. A lump sum payment of $1,075,075.87, representing compensation for lost future earnings ($820,286.73), pain and suffering ($250,000.00), and past unreimbursable expenses ($4,789.14), in the form of a check payable to petitioner, Amber Roberts.

C. A lump sum payment of $15,553.11, representing compensation for satisfaction of the Commonwealth of Kentucky Medicaid lien, payable jointly to petitioner and

Kentucky Medicaid Recovery Unit c/o HP Enterprise Services P.O. Box 2107 Frankfort, KY 40602 Attn: Veronica J. Cecil, Director Tel: 502-564-4958

Petitioner agrees to endorse this payment to Kentucky Medicaid Recovery Unit.

D. A lump sum payment of $3,101.91, representing compensation for satisfaction of the WellCare Medicaid lien, payable jointly to petitioner and

First Recovery Group LLC 26899 Northwestern Hwy Suite 250 Southfield, MI 48033 Attn: Bryan Cooley, Recovery Attorney Tel: 248-443-4800, ext. 276

Petitioner agrees to endorse this payment to First Recovery Group LLC.

E. An amount sufficient to purchase an annuity contract, subject to the conditions described in the Proffer, that will provide payments for the life care items contained in the joint life care plan, as illustrated by the chart at Tab A.

Proffer at § II(A-E).

I approve a Vaccine Program award in the requested amount set forth above to be made to Petitioner. In the absence of a motion for review filed pursuant to RCFC Appendix B, the clerk of the court is directed to enter judgment herewith.2

IT IS SO ORDERED.

/s/ Brian H. Corcoran Brian H. Corcoran Special Master

2 Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), the parties may expedite entry of judgment by both (either separately or jointly) filing a notice renouncing their right to seek review. IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS _________________________________________ ) AMBER ROBERTS, ) ) Petitioner, ) ) v. ) No. 09-427 ) Special Master Corcoran SECRETARY OF HEALTH ) ECF AND HUMAN SERVICES, ) ) Respondent. ) _________________________________________ )

RESPONDENT'S PROFFER ON AWARD OF COMPENSATION

I. Items of Compensation

A. Life Care Items

The parties engaged life care planners, Shelly Kinney, MSN, RN, CCM, CNCLP, for

respondent, and Cameron Parker, RN, BSN, CLCP, for petitioner, to provide an estimation of

Amber Roberts’s future vaccine-injury related needs. See Respondent’s Exhibit Q (joint life care

plan). For the purposes of this proffer, the term “vaccine-related” is as described in Special

Master Zane’s Ruling on Entitlement filed August 29, 2013. 1 All items of compensation

identified in the joint life care plan are supported by the evidence, and are illustrated by the chart

entitled Appendix A: Items of Compensation for Amber Roberts, attached hereto as Tab A. 2

Respondent proffers that Amber Roberts should be awarded all items of compensation set forth

in the joint life care plan and illustrated by the chart attached at Tab A. Petitioner agrees.

1 This case was reassigned to Special Master Hastings on September 5, 2013, and to Special Master Corcoran on January 14, 2014. 2 The chart at Tab A illustrates the annual benefits provided by the joint life care plan. The annual benefit years run from the date of judgment up to the first anniversary of the date of judgment, and every year thereafter up to the anniversary of the date of judgment.

-1- B. Lost Earnings

The parties agree that based upon the evidence of record, Amber Roberts has suffered a

past loss of earnings and will continue to suffer a loss of earnings in the future. Therefore,

respondent proffers that Amber Roberts should be awarded lost earnings as provided under the

Vaccine Act, 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a)(3)(B). 3 Respondent proffers that the appropriate award

for Amber Roberts’s lost earnings is $820,286.73. Petitioner agrees.

C. Pain and Suffering

Respondent proffers that Amber Roberts should be awarded $250,000.00 in actual pain

and suffering. See 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a)(4). Petitioner agrees.

D. Past Unreimbursable Expenses

Evidence supplied by petitioner documents the expenditure of past unreimbursable

expenses related to her vaccine-related injury. Respondent proffers that petitioner should be

awarded past unreimbursable expenses in the amount of $4,789.14. Petitioner agrees.

E. Commonwealth of Kentucky Medicaid Lien

Respondent proffers that Amber Roberts should be awarded funds to satisfy the

Commonwealth of Kentucky Medicaid lien in the amount of $15,553.11, which represents full

satisfaction of any right of subrogation, assignment, claim, lien, or cause of action the

Commonwealth of Kentucky may have against any individual as a result of any Medicaid

payments the Commonwealth of Kentucky has made to, or on behalf of, Amber Roberts from the

date of her eligibility for benefits through the date of judgment in this case as a result of her

vaccine-related injury suffered on or about July 1, 2006, under Title XIX of the Social Security

Act.

3 Amber Roberts was eleven years of age at the time of the vaccine-related injury. She turned eighteen during the pendency of the petition.

-2- F. WellCare Medicaid Lien

Respondent proffers that Amber Roberts should be awarded funds to satisfy the WellCare

Medicaid lien in the amount of $3,101.91, which represents full satisfaction of any right of

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Related

§ 300aa-10
42 U.S.C. § 300aa-10
§ 300aa-15
42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a)(3)(B)
§ 300a
42 U.S.C. § 300a