TRACY v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

United States Court of Federal Claims·Decided February 20, 2025·No. 16-0213V·Unpublished

Opinion

In the United States Court of Federal Claims OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS Filed: January 15, 2025

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NICOLE TRACY and DANNY STOTLER * on behalf of R.S. their minor child, * No. 16-213 * Petitioner, * Special Master Young * v. * * SECRETARY OF HEALTH * AND HUMAN SERVICES, * * Respondent. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mari Colleen Bush, Mari C. Bush LLC, Boulder, CO for Petitioners. Lynn Christina Schlie, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for Respondent.

DECISION AWARDING DAMAGES1

On February 11, 2016, Nicole Tracy and Danny Stotler (“Petitioners”) filed a petition for compensation on behalf of their minor child, R.S., pursuant to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.2 Pet. at 1, ECF No. 1. Petitioners allege that the pneumococcal conjugate (“PCV 13” or “Prevnar 13”) vaccine R.S. received on March 18, 2013, caused her to suffer from transverse myelitis (“TM”). Id. On March 30, 2022, I ruled that Petitioners are entitled to compensation for R.S.’s injury. Ruling on Entitlement, ECF No. 110.

On January 15, 2024, Respondent filed Respondent’s Proffer on Award of Compensation (“Proffer”), attached hereto as Appendix A. Proffer, ECF No. 258. Based on the record as a whole,

1 Because this unpublished decision contains a reasoned explanation for the action taken in this case, it must be made publicly accessible and will be posted on the United States Court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), Petitioners have 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. 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,” “the Act,” or the “program”). I find the Proffer reasonable and adopt it as the Decision of the Court in awarding damages, on the terms set forth therein.

Pursuant to the terms stated in the Proffer, attached as Appendix A, I award Petitioner:

(1) A lump sum payment of $1,297,837.79, representing compensation for life care expenses in the first year after judgment ($51,390.79), partial lost future earnings ($996,447.00), and pain and suffering ($250,000.00), to be paid through an ACH deposit to petitioners’ counsel’s IOLTA account for prompt disbursement to petitioners as guardian(s)/ conservator(s) of the estate of R.S., for the benefit of R.S. No payments shall be made until petitioners provide respondent with documentation establishing that they have been appointed as the guardian(s)/conservator(s) of R.S.’s estate. If petitioners are not authorized by a court of competent jurisdiction to serve as guardian(s)/conservator(s) of the estate of R.S., any such payment shall be made to the party or parties appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction to serve as guardian(s)/conservator(s) of the estate of R.S. upon submission of written documentation of such appointment to the Secretary. Further, if guardianship/conservatorship is no longer required under the laws of the state of Colorado after R.S. has attained the age of majority, any such payment shall be paid to R.S. upon submission of written documentation of the termination of guardianship/conservatorship to the Secretary.

(2) A lump sum payment of $37,629.32, representing compensation for past unreimbursable expenses, to be paid through an ACH deposit to petitioners’ counsel’s IOLTA account for prompt disbursement to petitioners.

(3) A lump sum payment of $40,866.23, representing compensation for satisfaction of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing lien, payable jointly to petitioners and:

Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing Colorado Medical Assistance Tort and Casualty Recovery Program 333 W. Hampden Ave., Suite # 425 Englewood, CO 80110 Medicaid ID Number: P415590 Case Number: 225220 ATTN: Lourdes French

Petitioners agree to endorse this payment to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

(4) An amount sufficient to purchase the annuity contract, subject to the conditions described in the Proffer at pages 6–7, that will provide payments for the life care items contained in the life care plan, as illustrated by the chart at Tab A attached to the Proffer, paid to the life insurance company from which the annuity will be purchased. Compensation for Year Two (beginning on the first anniversary of the date of judgment) and all subsequent years shall be provided through respondent’s purchase of an annuity, which annuity shall make payments directly to petitioners only so long as R.S. is alive at the time a particular payment is due. At the Secretary’s sole discretion, the periodic payments may be provided to petitioners in monthly, quarterly, annual or other installments. The “annual amounts” set forth in the chart at Tab A describe only the total yearly sum to be paid to petitioners and do not require that the payment be made in one annual installment.

I approve the requested amount for Petitioners’ compensation. In the absence of a motion for review filed pursuant to RCFC Appendix B, the clerk of the court SHALL ENTER JUDGMENT herewith.3

IT IS SO ORDERED.

s/Herbrina D. S. Young Herbrina D. S. Young Special Master

3 Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), entry of judgment is expedited by the parties’ joint filing of notice renouncing the right to seek review. IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS __________________________________________ ) NICOLE TRACY and ) DANNY STOTLER, on behalf of R.S., ) their minor child, ) Petitioners, ) No. 16-213V ) Special Master Young v. ) ECF ) SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ) HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ) ) Respondent. ) __________________________________________)

RESPONDENT’S PROFFER ON AWARD OF COMPENSATION

On February 11, 2016, Nicole Tracy and Danny Stotler (“petitioners”) filed a petition on

behalf of their daughter, R.S., for compensation under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury

Act, 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-10 et seq., alleging that a pneumococcal-conjugate (Prevnar-13) vaccine

administered to R.S. on March 18, 2013, caused her to suffer from transverse myelitis. Petition

(“Pet.”) at 1. On March 30, 2022, Special Master Young issued a Ruling on Entitlement in favor

of petitioners. ECF No. 110. Respondent now proffers the following regarding the amount of

compensation to be awarded. 1

1 The parties have no objection to the amount of the proffered award of damages. However, respondent reserves his right, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-12(f), to seek review of the Special Master’s March 30, 2022 Ruling on Entitlement, finding petitioners entitled to an award under the Vaccine Act. This right accrues following the issuance of the damages decision.

-1- I. Items of Compensation

A. Life Care Items

Respondent engaged life care planner Laura E. Fox, MSN, BSN, RN, CNS, CLCP, and

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Related

§ 300aa-
42 U.S.C. § 300aa-
§ 300aa-10
42 U.S.C. § 300aa-10
§ 300aa-12
42 U.S.C. § 300aa-12(f)
§ 300aa-15
42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a)(3)(B)
Purposes
44 U.S.C. § 3501
§ 300a
42 U.S.C. § 300a