V.S.R. v. HHS - Autism (2014)

Robert J. Rinicella and Honey L.

Rinicella, as parents of V.S.R., a minor, filed a petition under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The public document is a decision regarding attorneys' fees and costs, not the underlying entitlement decision.

The caption indicates the underlying case involved a claim of autism. However, the provided text does not specify the vaccines administered, the dates of vaccination, the onset of symptoms, the clinical course of the condition, or the specific theory of causation that was presented in the original claim.

Chief Special Master Denise K. Vowell had issued a dismissal decision on December 17, 2013.

On July 14, 2014, the parties filed a stipulation for attorneys' fees and costs, along with a statement that the petitioners had incurred out-of-pocket expenses. Following informal discussions, the petitioners amended their request for fees and costs to an amount to which the respondent did not object.

On July 17, 2014, Chief Special Master Vowell found that the petition had been brought in good faith and with a reasonable basis, making an award for fees and costs appropriate. The total award was $16,821.36.

This amount was comprised of a lump sum of $14,700.00, payable jointly to Robert and Honey Rinicella and their counsel, Robert J. Krakow, for attorneys' fees and costs.

An additional lump sum of $2,121.36 was awarded, payable to Robert and Honey Rinicella, to cover their out-of-pocket expenses. This award was solely for legal fees and costs and did not constitute compensation for a vaccine injury.