Raphael Golb v. HHS - Influenza, shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) (2025)

On October 9, 2024, Raphael Golb filed a petition seeking compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. He alleged that an influenza vaccination administered on August 31, 2023 caused a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA).

The public stipulation materials state that the vaccine was administered in the United States, that Mr. Golb experienced residual effects for more than six months, and that there had been no prior civil award or settlement for the same injury.

Respondent denied that the influenza vaccine caused the claimed injury and denied that Mr. Golb was entitled to compensation.

Even so, the parties filed a joint stipulation on December 30, 2025 resolving the claim. The publicly available stipulation decision does not describe the medical treatment course, onset details, imaging, injections, or functional limitations beyond the SIRVA allegation and the statutory prerequisites.

Chief Special Master Brian H. Corcoran found the stipulation reasonable and adopted it as the court's decision on December 30, 2025.

The award consisted of a single lump-sum payment of $35,000.00, paid through counsel's IOLTA account for prompt disbursement to Mr. Golb.

The stipulated amount represented compensation for all damages available under Vaccine Act section 15(a). A later attorney-fees decision was filed on March 18, 2026, but that award concerned litigation fees and costs rather than vaccine-injury compensation.

Mr. Golb was represented by Jonathan Joseph Svitak of Shannon Law Group, P.C. in Woodridge, Illinois.