Michele Nelson Ruppert v. HHS - Influenza, Guillain-Barré Syndrome (2024)
Case summary [AI summaries can sometimes make mistakes]
Michele Nelson Ruppert, a 54-year-old woman, received an influenza vaccine on October 26, 2015. She subsequently developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), which is a condition listed on the Vaccine Injury Table.
The respondent conceded entitlement, and the court issued a ruling on entitlement on November 26, 2019. The case then proceeded to determine damages, as the parties could not reach a settlement.
The medical records indicate that Ms. Ruppert experienced numbness and tingling in her hands and feet approximately three weeks after her vaccination, leading to difficulty walking.
She was hospitalized and diagnosed with GBS, receiving IVIG treatment. However, her hospitalization was complicated by the discovery of a colon mass, requiring two abdominal surgeries and an ileostomy.
While her GBS symptoms stabilized, her recovery was impacted by these surgical complications. She experienced ongoing fatigue, some residual tingling, and gait issues, requiring a cane for a period.
Her medical history also includes hip arthritis, sleep apnea, and obstructive airway disease, which likely contributed to some of her later symptoms. The court found that while not all of her post-vaccination symptoms were attributable to GBS, her GBS injury was moderately severe and complicated by her concurrent medical conditions.
The court awarded Ms. Ruppert $180,000.00 for pain and suffering, $25.03 for past unreimbursed expenses, and $9,714.52 for past lost wages, totaling $189,739.55.
Her claim for future lost wages was denied as too speculative, partly due to the dissolution of her former employer and her own unwillingness to receive certain vaccinations.