Nathania Stephens v. HHS - Tdap, Guillain-Barré syndrome (2022)

Nathania Stephens filed a petition on January 4, 2018, alleging that she developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) as a result of a Tdap vaccine received on February 29, 2016. This decision addresses her motion for interim attorneys' fees and costs.

The court found that the petition was filed in good faith and with a reasonable basis, supported by expert reports from Dr. Vera Byers, who opined that the Tdap vaccine was likely a cause or contributing factor to Petitioner's GBS, rejecting the respondent's expert's alternative theory of campylobacter jejuni infection.

The court awarded Nathania Stephens $65,888.21 in interim attorneys' fees and costs. This amount includes $55,823.00 in attorneys' fees, after a reduction for clerical and administrative tasks, and $10,065.21 in costs, which included medical records, filing fees, and a portion of expert witness fees after a reduction for excessive billing and block-billing.

The entitlement hearing was scheduled for August 2023, indicating protracted proceedings.