Courtney Goldin v. HHS - HPV, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (2015)

Courtney Goldin filed a petition on October 19, 2010, alleging that a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine she received on December 18, 2007 caused her to develop acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). On November 20, 2014, respondent filed a joint stipulation.

Respondent denied that the HPV vaccine caused petitioner's ADEM or any other injury. Nevertheless, the parties agreed to resolve the case through stipulation, and Special Master Moran found the stipulation reasonable and adopted it as the decision of the Court.

Petitioner received a lump sum of $50,000.00, representing compensation for all damages available under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a). On April 2, 2015, petitioner filed a motion for attorneys' fees and costs.

After respondent raised objections to certain items, petitioner amended her application to request $76,809.42, an amount to which respondent did not object. On May 1, 2015, respondent filed a stipulation of fact accepting the amended amount.

Special Master Moran awarded a total of $76,809.42, allocated among three attorneys who had represented petitioner at different stages: $14,058.81 payable jointly to petitioner and former counsel Lawrence R. Cohan; $14,730.15 payable jointly to petitioner and former counsel Anne C.

Toale; and $48,020.46 payable jointly to petitioner and current counsel Ronald C. Homer.

Petitioner had not personally incurred any litigation expenses.