John D. Slusser, Jr. v. HHS - Influenza, sepsis, neuroborreliosis, encephalopathy, and autoimmune encephalitis (2025)
Case summary [AI summaries can sometimes make mistakes]
Petitioner John D. Slusser, Jr. filed a petition for compensation on July 29, 2021, alleging that the influenza vaccine he received on October 12, 2018, caused him to suffer injuries including sepsis, neuroborreliosis, encephalopathy, and autoimmune encephalitis.
The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, denied that the petitioner sustained these injuries or that the flu vaccine caused any other injury. The parties subsequently filed a joint stipulation concerning compensation.
Special Master Christian J. Moran reviewed the stipulation, found it reasonable, and adopted it as the decision of the Court.
The stipulation awarded a lump sum of $7,000.00, payable to the petitioner, representing compensation for all damages available under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-15(a). Judgment was to be entered according to this decision and the stipulation, unless a motion for review was filed.
The public decision was issued on February 19, 2025.
Theory of causation
Petitioner John D. Slusser, Jr. alleged that the influenza vaccine administered on October 12, 2018, caused sepsis, neuroborreliosis, encephalopathy, and autoimmune encephalitis. The respondent denied these allegations. The parties reached a joint stipulation for compensation, which was adopted by Special Master Christian J. Moran. The stipulation awarded a lump sum of $7,000.00. The public decision does not detail the specific theory of causation, medical experts, onset of symptoms, diagnostic tests, treatments, or the mechanism of injury. The case was resolved via stipulation, indicating an agreement to compensate without a full adjudication of the causation theory. The decision date was February 19, 2025, and the petition was filed on July 29, 2021. Attorneys involved were Robert George Rose for the Petitioner and Jamica Marie Littles for the Respondent.
Source PDFs
USCOURTS-cofc-1_21-vv-01636