Yvonne Hocking v. HHS - Influenza, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (“GBS”) (2016)

Yvonne Hocking, an adult, received an influenza vaccination on October 1, 2013. Her estate, represented by Randy A.

Keister, Sr., filed a petition on April 20, 2015, alleging that Ms. Hocking developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) following the vaccination and that her subsequent death was a sequela of this vaccine-related GBS.

The respondent denied that Ms. Hocking suffered any injury as a result of the immunization or that her death was a sequela of vaccine-related GBS.

Despite the respondent's denial, the parties filed a joint stipulation for damages on April 8, 2016, agreeing that compensation should be awarded. Chief Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey found the stipulation reasonable and adopted it as the court's decision.

The estate was awarded a lump sum of $175,000.00, payable to Randy A. Keister, Sr. as Personal Representative of the Estate of Yvonne Hocking, to compensate for all items of damages available under the Vaccine Act.

The decision was issued on May 19, 2016. The public decision does not describe the specific onset of symptoms, clinical course, diagnostic tests, treatments, or the specific mechanism of causation.

Petitioner's counsel was Glynn Weldon Gilcrease, Jr., and respondent's counsel was Gordon Elliot Shemin.