{"package_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_17-vv-00604","decision_granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_17-vv-00604-0","petitioner_identifier":"Hanane M. Seid","is_minor":0,"age_at_vaccination":41.0,"age_unit_raw":"years","vaccine_type":"influenza","vaccination_date":"2013-09-21","condition_raw":"anterior horn cell disease","condition_category":"other","autism_spectrum_adjacent":0,"outcome":"dismissed","award_amount_usd":null,"decision_date":"2019-04-05","extraction_version":"gemini-v2","extracted_at":"2026-04-30T05:00:21.485558+00:00","number_of_concurrent_vaccines":1,"dose_number":null,"time_to_onset_days":224,"theory_of_causation":"Petitioner Hanane M. Seid, age 41, received an influenza vaccine on September 21, 2013. She alleged this vaccine caused an unspecified neurological condition that manifested approximately 32 weeks later in May 2014 with symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, acute pancreatitis, and ascending paralysis. Early medical records suggested Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), but later testing indicated anterior horn cell disease, possibly from an unknown polio-like virus. The cause was never definitively confirmed. The petitioner failed to comply with court orders to prosecute her case and obtain expert reports due to financial constraints. The Special Master, Christian J. Moran, dismissed the petition, finding that the petitioner failed to establish causation by a preponderance of the evidence. Key factors in the dismissal included the 32-week delay between vaccination and symptom onset, which was deemed inconsistent with causation, and the fact that treating physicians attributed the condition to a viral infection, not the vaccine. No specific medical experts were named in the public decision, and the theory of causation was not established. The petition was dismissed on April 5, 2019, with no award granted. Petitioner was represented pro se, and respondent was represented by Robert P. Coleman III.","is_death":0,"date_of_death":null,"petition_filed_date":"2017-05-05","case_summary":"Hanane M. Seid, pro se, filed a petition for compensation under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act on May 5, 2017, alleging that an influenza vaccine she received on September 21, 2013, caused unspecified injuries. Ms. Seid, who was 41 years old at the time of vaccination, experienced symptoms beginning in late April 2014, approximately 32 weeks after vaccination. Her initial symptoms included diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and headache, leading to a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. She later developed ascending paralysis, requiring intubation, with her movement becoming limited to her neck and eyelids by the end of May 2014. Early medical records suggested Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) as a likely cause, and her treating physicians attributed the onset of her neurological disease to an antecedent infection, noting it was consistent with GBS or AIDP following an infectious etiology. However, subsequent EMG and MRI testing in June 2014 led physicians to conclude she was more likely suffering from anterior horn cell disease, possibly due to an unknown polio-like virus. The cause of her condition was never definitively confirmed, despite follow-up testing by the CDC and Columbia University Viral Detection Lab. The public decision does not describe the specific outcome of her rehabilitation or her current condition beyond stating she had an uncertain prognosis in the summer of 2014 and was unable to stand with a walker or fully function in her everyday life. The respondent was the Secretary of Health and Human Services, represented by Robert P. Coleman III. Special Master Christian J. Moran presided over the case. The petition was dismissed. Ms. Seid struggled throughout the proceedings to obtain expert reports due to financial constraints and repeatedly failed to comply with court orders to prosecute her case. After multiple delays and a show cause order for failure to prosecute, Ms. Seid moved for a ruling on the record on January 23, 2019, arguing the existing evidence supported her claim. Special Master Moran disagreed, finding that Ms. Seid failed to establish causation by a preponderance of the evidence. The Special Master noted the significant time lapse between vaccination and symptom onset (32 weeks), which he considered inconsistent with a finding of causation. Furthermore, Ms. Seid's treating physicians never considered the vaccination as a cause, instead attributing her condition to a viral infection, a conclusion the Special Master found no reason to doubt. The petition was dismissed for failure to prosecute and lack of evidence. The public decision does not specify any award amount or annuity terms, as the petition was dismissed.","is_minor_inferred":0,"is_pediatric_broad":0,"special_master":"Christian J. Moran","petitioner_identifier_original":null,"caption_petitioner_name":null,"petitioner_attorney_name":null,"petitioner_attorney_firm":null,"petitioner_attorney_location":null,"adjudicator_name":null,"caption_people_backfilled_at":null,"attorney_canonical_keys":null,"firm_canonical_key":null,"package_title":"SEID v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","canonical_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_17-vv-00604","plain_text_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_17-vv-00604.txt","json_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_17-vv-00604.json","source_documents":[{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_17-vv-00604-0","title":"SEID v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC DECISION (Originally filed: 3/4/2019) regarding 31 DECISION of Special Master. Signed by Special Master Christian J. Moran. (fm) Service on parties made.","date_issued":"2019-04-05","pdf_url":"https://api.govinfo.gov/packages/USCOURTS-cofc-1_17-vv-00604/granules/USCOURTS-cofc-1_17-vv-00604-0/pdf","pdf_bytes":700862,"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_17-vv-00604/USCOURTS-cofc-1_17-vv-00604-0"}]}