L.R. v. HHS - Influenza, Guillain-Barré Syndrome and/or Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) (2015)

On October 9, 2014, Kristin J. Reginelli and Daniel W.

Reginelli, parents and natural guardians of L.R., a minor, filed a petition under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. They alleged that L.R. developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) and/or Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) as a result of receiving an influenza vaccine on October 8, 2012.

The petition further alleged that L.R. experienced residual effects of the injury for more than six months. The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, denied that the flu vaccine caused L.R.'s alleged conditions.

Despite the denial, the parties filed a joint stipulation for damages. Special Master Thomas L.

Gowen reviewed the stipulation, found it reasonable, and adopted it as the decision of the Court. The stipulation awarded L.R. a lump sum of $185,000.00, payable to petitioners as guardians/conservators of L.R.'s estate, and awarded petitioners Kristin J.

Reginelli and Daniel W. Reginelli a lump sum of $7,000.00 for past unreimbursed expenses, totaling $192,000.00.

Judgment was ordered to be entered in accordance with the terms of the stipulation. The case was compensated based on this joint stipulation.

The public decision does not describe the specific onset of symptoms, medical tests, treatments, or expert witnesses. The attorneys involved were James B.

Blumenstiel for the petitioner and Jennifer L. Reynaud for the respondent.