Todd L. Friberg v. HHS - Influenza, shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) (2022)

Todd L. Friberg filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, alleging that he suffered a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) caused by an influenza vaccine he received on October 18, 2018.

The respondent conceded that Mr. Friberg was entitled to compensation, agreeing that his injury was consistent with SIRVA and that he met all legal prerequisites.

The case proceeded to a damages decision, as the parties could not resolve the compensation amount. The court awarded Mr.

Friberg $125,102.92, which included $117,000.00 for pain and suffering and $8,102.92 for past lost wages. The court found that Mr.

Friberg suffered a moderate to severe SIRVA injury for approximately six months, requiring arthroscopic surgery and subsequent physical therapy. While Mr.

Friberg claimed his shoulder pain continued, the court determined that he failed to provide sufficient evidence to link his later shoulder pain to the 2018 SIRVA injury, finding that his condition had resolved within eleven months post-vaccination. The award was based on the severity and duration of the injury as supported by the medical records and prior case precedent.