Charles Storey v. HHS - Influenza, preexisting bilateral tinnitus conditioned worsened (2016)

On July 29, 2014, Charles Storey filed a petition with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Mr.

Storey alleged that his pre-existing bilateral tinnitus was worsened by an Influenza ("Flu") vaccine he received on January 10, 2014. The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, denied that the flu vaccine caused the alleged aggravation of tinnitus or any other injury.

Despite this denial, the parties filed a joint stipulation on damages on April 7, 2015, agreeing that compensation should be awarded. Special Master Lisa Hamilton-Fieldman reviewed the stipulation and found it reasonable, adopting it as the decision of the court.

Mr. Storey was awarded a lump sum of $30,000.00, payable to him, as compensation for all damages.

The decision was issued on April 8, 2016. Petitioner was represented by Andrew Donald Downing of Van Cott & Talamante, PLLC, and respondent was represented by Ryan Daniel Pyles of the United States Department of Justice.

The public decision does not describe the specific onset of symptoms, medical tests, treatments, or the mechanism by which the vaccine allegedly caused the condition.