Teresa Polzin v. HHS - Tdap, Guillain-Barré syndrome (2019)
Case summary [AI summaries can sometimes make mistakes]
Teresa Polzin filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program on June 24, 2016, alleging she suffered Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) as a result of receiving a Tetanus-Diphtheria-acellular-pertussis (Tdap) vaccine on July 14, 2014. The petition stated that she experienced symptoms within hours of vaccination.
The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, denied that the vaccine caused the injury but agreed to a settlement. The parties submitted a stipulation for award, and on November 12, 2019, Special Master Thomas L.
Gowen issued a decision adopting the stipulation. The court awarded Teresa Polzin $25,000.00 as a lump sum to compensate for all damages.
Petitioner's counsel was Carol L. Gallagher and Carol C.
Gallagher. Respondent's counsel was Claudia B.
Gangi. The public decision does not describe the specific onset of symptoms, medical tests, treatments, or expert witnesses.
The decision was made pursuant to the E-Government Act of 2002, requiring posting on the court's website, with provisions for redaction.
Theory of causation
Petitioner Teresa Polzin alleged Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) following a Tdap vaccination on July 14, 2014. The respondent denied causation. The parties entered into a stipulation for award, settling the case. Special Master Thomas L. Gowen adopted the stipulation on November 12, 2019. The award was $25,000.00 as a lump sum for all damages. The public text does not detail the specific theory of causation, medical experts, or the mechanism of injury.
Source PDFs
USCOURTS-cofc-1_16-vv-00598