Jennifer Bonilla-Edgington v. HHS - Hepatitis B, aplastic anemia (2025)
Case summary [AI summaries can sometimes make mistakes]
On February 24, 2020, Jennifer Bonilla-Edgington filed a petition alleging that she suffered aplastic anemia as a result of hepatitis B vaccines received on September 21, 2017, and February 22, 2018. The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, denied that the hepatitis B immunizations caused or significantly aggravated Petitioner's aplastic anemia.
The parties, however, reached a stipulation for an award of compensation. Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey reviewed the stipulation.
The stipulation recommended a total award of $125,000. This amount included a lump sum of $45,000.00 for unreimbursable expenses, payable jointly to Petitioner and Lehigh Valley Health Network, to whom Petitioner agreed to endorse the payment.
An additional lump sum of $80,000.00 was awarded to Petitioner for all other damages. Special Master Dorsey found the stipulation reasonable and adopted it as the decision of the Court.
Judgment was to be entered in accordance with the stipulation. Petitioner was represented by David John Carney of Green & Schafle LLC, and Respondent was represented by Ryan Daniel Pyles of the U.S.
Department of Justice.
Theory of causation
Petitioner Jennifer Bonilla-Edgington alleged that she suffered aplastic anemia as a result of hepatitis B vaccines received on September 21, 2017, and February 22, 2018. Respondent denied causation. The parties filed a stipulation for compensation, which was adopted by Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey. The stipulation recommended a total award of $125,000, comprising $45,000 for unreimbursable expenses payable jointly to Petitioner and Lehigh Valley Health Network, and $80,000 as a lump sum to Petitioner for all other damages. The public decision does not describe the specific theory of causation, medical experts, onset, symptoms, tests, treatments, or mechanism of injury. Petitioner was represented by David John Carney of Green & Schafle LLC, and Respondent was represented by Ryan Daniel Pyles of the U.S. Department of Justice. The decision was based on a stipulation, and judgment was to be entered accordingly.
Source PDFs
USCOURTS-cofc-1_20-vv-00194