Simon Legault v. HHS - Influenza, sudden sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus (2025)

Simon Legault, a 37-year-old adult, received an influenza vaccine on November 19, 2019. He alleged that within three to four days, he developed bilateral tinnitus and pain in his ears, followed by worsening symptoms including sensitivity to noise, headaches, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating over the next few weeks.

He sought medical attention about a month after vaccination, where he was diagnosed with bilateral tinnitus and mild left-sided sensorineural hearing loss. Mr.

Legault pursued an "off-Table" claim, arguing that the flu vaccine caused his hearing loss and tinnitus through a stress response theory. He presented expert testimony and medical literature to support his claim.

The respondent, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, contested causation. The Special Master denied entitlement, finding that Mr.

Legault failed to preponderantly demonstrate that the flu vaccine could cause his condition and that there was insufficient evidence of a logical sequence of cause and effect. The court reviewed the Special Master's decision and found it was not arbitrary or capricious, upholding the denial of compensation.

The court noted that Mr. Legault's claim relied on a stress response theory that, in the Special Master's view, required more than just the vaccine itself to trigger the injury, such as pre-existing stressors, which were not sufficiently demonstrated in Mr.

Legault's case. The court also found that the medical evidence did not establish a clear causal link between the vaccine and the alleged injuries.