{"package_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021","decision_granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021-1","petitioner_identifier":"Dennis Schmitt","is_minor":0,"age_at_vaccination":70.0,"age_unit_raw":"years","vaccine_type":"influenza","vaccination_date":"2017-11-22","condition_raw":"shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA)","condition_category":"SIRVA","autism_spectrum_adjacent":0,"outcome":"compensated","award_amount_usd":120174,"decision_date":"2021-09-30","extraction_version":"gemini-v2","extracted_at":"2026-04-30T05:11:51.439062+00:00","number_of_concurrent_vaccines":1,"dose_number":null,"time_to_onset_days":22,"theory_of_causation":"Petitioner Dennis Schmitt, age 70, received an influenza vaccine on November 22, 2017, and subsequently developed Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA). Respondent conceded that the claim met the Table criteria for SIRVA. Medical records documented shoulder pain, bursitis, and rotator cuff tears, leading to arthroscopic surgery and physical therapy. Petitioner reported initial pain of 7-8/10, which improved after treatment but persisted intermittently. Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran issued a ruling on entitlement on September 9, 2020, and awarded damages on August 30, 2021. The award totaled $120,174.94, consisting of $118,000.00 for pain and suffering and $2,174.94 for out-of-pocket expenses. Petitioner was represented by Leah V. Durant and Respondent by Claudia Barnes Gangi. The public decision does not detail the specific mechanism of SIRVA or name medical experts, but it does describe the clinical progression, treatment, and the Special Master's reasoning for the damages award based on the severity and duration of pain, treatment received, and comparison to prior cases.","is_death":0,"date_of_death":null,"petition_filed_date":"2019-01-03","case_summary":"Dennis Schmitt filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program on January 3, 2019, alleging he suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) as a result of an influenza vaccine he received on November 22, 2017. He was 70 years old at the time of vaccination. Respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, filed a Rule 4(c) report conceding that Petitioner's claim met the Table criteria for SIRVA, including timely filing, vaccination in the United States, and suffering residual effects for more than six months. Based on this concession, Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran issued a ruling on entitlement on September 9, 2020, finding Petitioner entitled to compensation. A subsequent decision on August 30, 2021, awarded damages. Petitioner was represented by Leah V. Durant of the Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, and Respondent was represented by Claudia Barnes Gangi of the U.S. Department of Justice. The medical records detail Petitioner's shoulder pain, bursitis, rotator cuff tear, and subsequent arthroscopic surgery and physical therapy. Petitioner reported pain initially rated at 8/10, which improved with a steroid injection but returned. An MRI revealed tears in the supraspinatus and biceps tendons and a partial to nearly full-thickness tear in the subscapularis tendon. Petitioner underwent arthroscopic surgery on April 24, 2018, for debridement and rotator cuff repair. Post-operatively, his pain significantly decreased, and he reported being \"nearly 100%\" after physical therapy. However, he experienced lingering pain and stiffness, which he managed with home exercises. In May 2019, he reported pain of 4/10 at rest and 6/10 with activity, and received another steroid injection. Petitioner averred that he has learned to live with intermittent pain associated with certain activities and has declined jobs due to shoulder pain. Chief Special Master Corcoran awarded a total of $120,174.94, comprising $118,000.00 for pain and suffering and $2,174.94 for out-of-pocket expenses. The Special Master considered prior SIRVA cases and the specific facts of Mr. Schmitt's case, noting his prompt medical attention, initial severe pain, and subsequent good recovery, but also acknowledging the gap in treatment and ongoing discomfort. The Special Master found the award to be fair and appropriate based on the record.","is_minor_inferred":0,"is_pediatric_broad":0,"special_master":"Brian H. Corcoran","petitioner_identifier_original":null,"caption_petitioner_name":"Dennis Schmitt","petitioner_attorney_name":"Leah VaSahnja Durant","petitioner_attorney_firm":"Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC","petitioner_attorney_location":"Washington, DC","adjudicator_name":null,"caption_people_backfilled_at":"2026-05-05 23:44:52","attorney_canonical_keys":"|leah-durant|","firm_canonical_key":"law-offices-of-leah-v-durant","package_title":"SCHMITT v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","canonical_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021","plain_text_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021.txt","json_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021.json","source_documents":[{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021-0","title":"SCHMITT v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC ORDER/RULING (Originally filed: 09/09/2020) regarding 33 Ruling on Entitlement Signed by Chief Special Master Brian H. 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(sw) Service on parties made.","date_issued":"2021-09-30","pdf_url":"https://api.govinfo.gov/packages/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021/granules/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021-1/pdf","pdf_bytes":321175,"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_19-vv-00021/USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021-1"},{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_19-vv-00021-2","title":"SCHMITT v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC DECISION (Originally filed: 04/05/2022) regarding 59 DECISION of Special Master - Fees Signed by Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran. (sw) Service on parties made.","date_issued":"2022-05-19","pdf_url":null,"pdf_bytes":null,"triage_decision":"skip","triage_reason":"fees-only decision (attorney compensation)","download_status":"skipped"}]}