Kristine Rucker-Morrow v. HHS - Influenza, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) (2020)
Case summary [AI summaries can sometimes make mistakes]
On October 26, 2018, Kristine Rucker-Morrow filed a petition under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, alleging that she developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) as a result of receiving a seasonal influenza vaccine on October 21, 2016. The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, filed a Rule 4(c) report on October 30, 2019, conceding that the petitioner was entitled to compensation.
The respondent's concession was based on the petitioner satisfying the criteria set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table and its Aids to Interpretation. On November 7, 2019, Chief Special Master Brian H.
Corcoran issued a ruling on entitlement, finding the petitioner entitled to compensation. Subsequently, on June 23, 2020, the respondent filed a proffer recommending an award of $197,446.11.
This amount included $177,500.00 for pain and suffering, $6,016.80 for past unreimbursable expenses, and $13,929.31 for lost earnings. The petitioner agreed with this proffered award.
On June 25, 2020, Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran issued a decision awarding the petitioner the lump sum of $197,446.11, payable by check to Kristine Rucker-Morrow.
The decision noted that the petitioner is a competent adult and did not require evidence of guardianship. The case was handled by Edward M.
Kraus of the Law Offices of Chicago Kent for the petitioner and Dhairya Divyakant Jani of the U.S. Department of Justice for the respondent.
The public decision was issued on June 25, 2020.