Jennifer Reyes v. HHS - Tdap, brachial plexopathy, also known as Parsonage-Turner Synrome (2021)

Jennifer Reyes filed a claim alleging that she suffered brachial plexopathy, also known as Parsonage-Turner Syndrome, after receiving a Tdap vaccination on February 6, 2018. Her petition was filed with the Court of Federal Claims on October 13, 2021.

The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, filed a Rule 4 report recommending against compensation. Subsequently, Ms.

Reyes filed a Motion for a Decision Dismissing her Petition, stating that an investigation of the facts and science demonstrated she would be unable to prove entitlement to compensation. She understood that a dismissal would result in a judgment against her, ending her rights in the Vaccine Program.

The Special Master noted that to receive compensation, a petitioner must prove either a Table Injury or that the vaccine actually caused the injury, requiring a medical theory, a logical sequence of cause and effect, and a proximate temporal relationship. The decision stated that Ms.

Reyes's medical records did not support her allegations by a preponderance of the evidence, and she did not file an expert medical opinion. Therefore, the Special Master granted Ms.

Reyes's motion and dismissed the petition for failure to establish a prima facie case of entitlement. The case was dismissed, and judgment was entered accordingly.