Williams v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

Opinion

In the United States Court of Federal Claims OFFICE OF SPECIAL MASTERS No. 15-1224V Filed: January 29, 2019 Not to be Published

************************************* JESSICA WILLIAMS, mother of * E.W.H., * * Damages decision based on Petitioner, * stipulation; diphtheria tetanus * acellular pertussis (“DTaP”); v. * influenza (“flu”) vaccine; eczema * SECRETARY OF HEALTH * AND HUMAN SERVICES, * * Respondent. * * ************************************* Richard Gage, Cheyenne, WY, for petitioner. Althea Walker Davis, Washington, DC, for respondent.

MILLMAN, Special Master

DECISION AWARDING DAMAGES1

On January 29, 2019, the parties filed the attached stipulation in which they agreed to settle this case and described the settlement terms. Petitioner alleges that her child, E.W.H., suffered eczema and scarring as a result of his May 22, 2014 receipt of varicella, measles mumps rubella (“MMR”), diphtheria tetanus acellular pertussis (“DTaP”), inactivated polio virus (“IPV”), and influenza (“flu”) vaccines. Respondent denies that these vaccines, alone or in combination, caused petitioner’s son’s eczema or any other injury. Nonetheless, the parties agreed to resolve this matter informally.

1 Because this unpublished decision contains a reasoned explanation for the special master’s action in this case, the special master intends to post this unpublished decision on the United States Court of Federal Claims’ website, in accordance with the E-Government Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-347, 116 Stat. 2899, 2913 (Dec. 17, 2002). This means the decision will be available to anyone with access to the Internet. Vaccine Rule 18(b) states that all decisions of the special masters will be made available to the public unless they contain trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged and confidential, or medical or similar information whose disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. When such a decision is filed, petitioner has 14 days to identify and move to delete such information prior to the document’s disclosure. If the special master, upon review, agrees that the identified material fits within the banned categories listed above, the special master shall delete such material from public access. The undersigned finds the terms of the stipulation to be reasonable. The court hereby adopts the parties’ said stipulation, attached hereto, and awards compensation in the amount and on the terms set forth therein. Pursuant to the stipulation, the court awards a lump sum of $12,500.00, in the form of a check payable to petitioner, as guardian/conservator of E.W.H.’s estate, representing compensation for all damages that would be available under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a).

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.

Dated: January 29, 2019 /s/ Laura D. Millman Laura D. Millman Special Master

2 Pursuant to Vaccine Rule 11(a), entry of judgment can be expedited by each party, either separately or jointly, filing a notice renouncing the right to seek review. 2