Matthew Andrews v. HHS - Influenza, Bell's palsy (2015)

Matthew Andrews filed a petition on March 5, 2014, under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, alleging that a live attenuated nasal influenza vaccine administered on March 8, 2011, caused him to develop Bell's palsy. He further alleged that he suffered residual effects or complications from this injury for more than six months.

The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, denied that the flu vaccine caused petitioner's Bell's palsy or any other injury. Despite this denial, the parties reached a joint stipulation for damages.

The stipulation awarded Matthew Andrews a lump sum of $30,000.00 for all available damages and an additional $8,000.00 for attorneys' fees and costs, totaling $38,000.00. Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey found the stipulation reasonable and adopted it as the decision of the Court.

Judgment was entered in accordance with the terms of the stipulation. The public decision does not describe the specific onset of symptoms, clinical details of the Bell's palsy, diagnostic tests performed, or treatments received.

No expert witnesses were named in the public decision. The specific mechanism by which the flu vaccine allegedly caused Bell's palsy is not detailed in the public decision.