{"package_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082","decision_granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082-0","petitioner_identifier":"Lynn Henderson","is_minor":0,"age_at_vaccination":52.0,"age_unit_raw":"years","vaccine_type":"influenza","vaccination_date":"2011-12-01","condition_raw":"left occipital neuralgia","condition_category":"other","autism_spectrum_adjacent":0,"outcome":"dismissed","award_amount_usd":null,"decision_date":"2016-11-30","extraction_version":"gemini-v2","extracted_at":"2026-04-30T04:44:44.573338+00:00","number_of_concurrent_vaccines":1,"dose_number":null,"time_to_onset_days":21,"theory_of_causation":"Petitioner Lynn Henderson alleged left occipital neuralgia caused by an influenza vaccine received on December 1, 2011. The injury was alleged to have persisted for more than six months. The case was an \"off-Table\" claim, requiring proof of causation. Petitioner struggled to provide proof of vaccination, as records from the Tippecanoe County Wellness Center were destroyed. Medical records did not definitively link the vaccine to the alleged injury. Petitioner was unable to file an expert report. Dr. Horton, a treating neurologist, provided a letter stating a \"possible neurological reaction to the flu shot in the past\" but did not specify the vaccine date, the reaction, or a causal link. Special Master Mindy Michaels Roth found that the petitioner failed to establish the three Althen factors: a medical theory causally connecting the vaccination and injury, a logical sequence of cause and effect, and a proximate temporal relationship. The petition was dismissed for failure to establish entitlement to compensation. Petitioner's counsel was Richard Gage, Esq., and respondent's counsel was Camille Collett, Esq. The decision date was November 30, 2016.","is_death":0,"date_of_death":null,"petition_filed_date":"2014-11-05","case_summary":"Lynn Henderson filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Compensation Program on November 5, 2014, alleging that she suffered from left occipital neuralgia caused by an influenza vaccination received on December 1, 2011. She claimed her injuries persisted for more than six months. The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, argued that the medical records did not document the vaccination, contradicted her claim of persistent injury, and that no plausible medical theory linked the vaccine to her condition. Petitioner's counsel was Richard Gage, Esq. The respondent's counsel was Camille Collett, Esq. Special Master Mindy Michaels Roth presided over the case. Petitioner's initial petition and affidavit were filed on November 5, 2014, with exhibits filed on November 26, 2014. Chief Special Master Dorsey conducted the initial status conference. The respondent filed a report on May 18, 2015, asserting that proof of vaccination was lacking and that the medical records did not support a persistent injury or a plausible medical theory of causation. Petitioner's medical history included allergies, arthritis, asthma, depression, hypertension, chronic neck pain, moderate obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, hyperinsulinemia, hypokalemia, kidney stones, cervicalgia, and kyphosis. After the vaccination, Ms. Henderson reported head and neck pain starting around December 22, 2011, followed by facial numbness, burning on her scalp, ear pain, and generalized pain. She was evaluated by multiple specialists, including neurologists (Dr. Horton, Dr. Lett), pain management physicians (Dr. Arbuckle), cardiologists (Dr. Yaacoub), dentists (Dr. Reef), and others (Dr. Collicott, Dr. Dicke, Dr. Bremer, Dr. Loyd). Medical imaging, including MRIs and MR angiograms, were performed, with some findings of cervical spine abnormalities and a persistent trigeminal artery, but no definitive link to her symptoms was established. Occipital nerve blocks provided temporary relief. Petitioner was unable to file an expert report despite multiple extensions. On March 18, 2016, she moved for a decision on the record. Special Master Roth noted that Dr. Horton provided a letter stating a \"possible neurological reaction to the flu shot in the past\" but did not specify the vaccine date, the reaction, or a causal link. The Special Master found that the petitioner failed to establish entitlement to compensation by failing to meet the Althen criteria for causation, specifically lacking a reliable medical theory and sufficient evidence. Consequently, the petition was dismissed.","is_minor_inferred":0,"is_pediatric_broad":0,"special_master":"Mindy Michaels Roth","petitioner_identifier_original":null,"caption_petitioner_name":null,"petitioner_attorney_name":"Richard Gage","petitioner_attorney_firm":"Richard Gage, P.C.","petitioner_attorney_location":"Cheyenne, WY","adjudicator_name":null,"caption_people_backfilled_at":null,"attorney_canonical_keys":"|richard-gage|","firm_canonical_key":"richard-gage","package_title":"HENDERSON v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","canonical_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082","plain_text_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082.txt","json_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082.json","source_documents":[{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082-0","title":"HENDERSON v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC ORDER/RULING (Originally filed: 11/4/2016) regarding 37 DECISION of Special Master. Signed by Special Master Mindy Michaels Roth. (mw) Copy to parties.","date_issued":"2016-11-30","pdf_url":"https://api.govinfo.gov/packages/USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082/granules/USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082-0/pdf","pdf_bytes":339514,"triage_decision":"keep","triage_reason":"docketText matches keep keyword 'decision of special master'","download_status":"ok","registry_pdf_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/pdf/USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082/USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082-0"},{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_14-vv-01082-1","title":"HENDERSON v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC DECISION (Originally filed: 5/25/2017) regarding 43 DECISION of Special Master - Fees. Signed by Special Master Mindy Michaels Roth. (mw) Copy to parties.","date_issued":"2017-06-19","pdf_url":null,"pdf_bytes":null,"triage_decision":"skip","triage_reason":"fees-only decision (attorney compensation)","download_status":"skipped"}]}