{"package_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_21-vv-02098","decision_granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_21-vv-02098-1","petitioner_identifier":"Dana Granville","is_minor":0,"age_at_vaccination":28.0,"age_unit_raw":"years","vaccine_type":"influenza","vaccination_date":"2019-12-03","condition_raw":"Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)","condition_category":"GBS","autism_spectrum_adjacent":0,"outcome":"compensated","award_amount_usd":96008,"decision_date":"2023-10-02","extraction_version":"gemini-v2","extracted_at":"2026-04-30T05:28:51.790087+00:00","number_of_concurrent_vaccines":1,"dose_number":null,"time_to_onset_days":13,"theory_of_causation":"Petitioner Dana Granville, age 28, received an influenza vaccine on December 3, 2019, and subsequently developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). The respondent conceded entitlement, recognizing that Petitioner met the criteria for a Table injury, which presumes causation if GBS onset occurs between three and forty-two days after a seasonal flu vaccination and no alternative cause is apparent. The public decision does not detail specific medical experts or a detailed mechanism of injury beyond the Table criteria. Petitioner's symptoms began approximately 13 days post-vaccination and progressed over several days, leading to hospitalization and IVIG treatment. She experienced a mild GBS course with a relatively quick recovery. Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran issued a Ruling on Entitlement on August 2, 2022, and a Decision Awarding Damages on October 2, 2023. The award totaled $96,008.66, consisting of $92,500.00 for pain and suffering and $3,508.66 for unreimbursed expenses. Petitioner's counsel was John Robert Howie, and respondent's counsel was Sarah Black Rifkin.","is_death":0,"date_of_death":null,"petition_filed_date":"2021-10-28","case_summary":"Dana Granville filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program on October 28, 2021, alleging that she suffered from Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) as a result of an influenza vaccine she received on December 3, 2019. She was 28 years old at the time of vaccination. The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, filed a Rule 4(c) report conceding entitlement, stating that Petitioner met the criteria for a Table injury, which affords a presumption of causation if GBS onset occurs between three and forty-two days after a seasonal flu vaccination and there is no apparent alternative cause. Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran issued a Ruling on Entitlement on August 2, 2022, finding Petitioner entitled to compensation. Subsequently, the parties were unable to settle damages, leading to a decision awarding damages. Petitioner alleged that her GBS course was mild but highlighted the seriousness of the injury, requiring hospitalization with IVIG treatment and significantly disrupting her life. She sought $95,000 for past pain and suffering and $3,508.66 in unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses. The respondent proposed a lesser sum of $52,500 for pain and suffering, arguing Petitioner's course was mild with limited outpatient treatment and a rapid recovery. Petitioner's medical history indicated that on December 16, 2019, thirteen days after vaccination, she experienced tingling and numbness in her hands and arms, which progressed to her legs and feet, making walking difficult. She also experienced tingling in her tongue. She was admitted to the hospital on December 20, 2019, with a GBS diagnosis and received five IVIG infusions during a five-day hospitalization. She experienced some side effects from the infusions. By discharge, she reported feeling \"a little unsteady on her feet\" and had absent reflexes. Follow-up visits showed improvement, and by January 21, 2020, she reported being independent with all activities of daily living, driving, and working. She continued to experience sporadic numbness and tingling, but by February 24, 2020, her neurologist noted she was \"doing well, no needs at this time, no signs of recurrence.\" She reported occasional numbness and tingling in her hands and feet, and her nose tingled a little. Her neurologist advised avoiding future flu shots. By July 15, 2020, she reported still having tingling in her hands, feet, and lower legs, sometimes interfering with sleep, and lower back pain since her lumbar puncture. Her doctor noted her \"relatively full recovery\" from GBS. Petitioner has since represented that she has fully recovered from her GBS and no longer experiences any symptoms related to it. Chief Special Master Corcoran, in a Decision Awarding Damages dated October 2, 2023, awarded Dana Granville $96,008.66. This amount comprised $92,500.00 for actual pain and suffering and $3,508.66 for past unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses. The Special Master found that while Petitioner's GBS injury was mild, it involved significant treatment, including hospitalization and IVIG infusions. He compared her case to Geschwindner v. Sec’y of Health & Human Servs., No. 17-1558V, 2022 WL 177372, where a similar mild GBS injury resulted in a different award. The Special Master determined that Petitioner's pain and suffering were substantially similar to, if slightly less than, the petitioner in Geschwindner, justifying the award of $92,500.00 for pain and suffering. The requested unreimbursed expenses were awarded in full. Petitioner's counsel was John Robert Howie of Howie Law, PC, and respondent's counsel was Sarah Black Rifkin of the U.S. Department of Justice. Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran presided over both the entitlement and damages decisions.","is_minor_inferred":0,"is_pediatric_broad":0,"special_master":"Brian H. Corcoran","petitioner_identifier_original":null,"caption_petitioner_name":"Dana Granville","petitioner_attorney_name":"John Robert Howie","petitioner_attorney_firm":"Howie Law, PC","petitioner_attorney_location":"Dallas, TX","adjudicator_name":null,"caption_people_backfilled_at":"2026-05-05 23:44:16","attorney_canonical_keys":"|john-howie|","firm_canonical_key":"howie-law","package_title":"GRANVILLE v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","canonical_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_21-vv-02098","plain_text_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_21-vv-02098.txt","json_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_21-vv-02098.json","source_documents":[{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_21-vv-02098-0","title":"GRANVILLE v. 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