UNPUBLISHED

DECISION ON ATTORNEYS' FEES AND COSTS1

MINDY MICHAELS ROTH, Special Master.

On March 7, 2016, Charles Moore ("Mr. Moore," or "petitioner") filed a petition for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.2 Petitioner alleges that he developed Transverse Myelitis ("TM"), neuropathic pain, and/or other injuries that were "caused-in-fact" as a result of receiving an Influenza ("Flu") vaccination on September 22, 2014. See Petition ("Pet."), ECF No. 1. On April 20, 2017, the undersigned issued a Decision awarding compensation to petitioner based on the parties' stipulations. Decision, ECF No. 22.

On July 14, 2017, petitioner filed a Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Costs. Motion for Fees, ECF No. 27. Petitioner requests attorneys' fees in the amount of $37,291.50, and attorneys' costs in the amount of $7,586.24, for a total amount of $44,877.74, for work performed by her attorney, Mr. Michael McLaren. In accordance with General Order #9, petitioner's counsel represents that petitioner did not incur any out-of-pocket expenses. Id. at. 3.

On July 31, 2017, respondent filed a response to petitioners' Motion for Fees. Response, ECF No. 28. Respondent provided no specific objection to the amount requested or hours worked, but instead, "respectfully recommend[ed] that the Special Master exercise her discretion and determine a reasonable award for attorneys' fees and costs." Id. at 3.

I. Legal Framework

The Vaccine Act permits an award of "reasonable attorneys' fees" and "other costs." § 15(e)(1). If a petitioner succeeds on the merits of his or her claim, the award of attorneys' fees is automatic. Id.; see Sebelius v. Cloer, 133 S.Ct. 1886, 1891 (2013). However, a petitioner need not prevail on entitlement to receive a fee award as long as the petition was brought in "good faith" and there was a "reasonable basis" for the claim to proceed. § 15(e)(1).

The Federal Circuit has endorsed the use of the lodestar approach to determine what constitutes "reasonable attorneys' fees" and "other costs" under the Vaccine Act. Avera v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 515 F.3d 1343, 1349 (Fed. Cir. 2008). Under this approach, "an initial estimate of a reasonable attorneys' fees" is calculated by "multiplying the number of hours reasonably expended on the litigation times a reasonable hourly rate." Id. at 1347-48 (quoting Blum v. Stenson, 465 U.S. 886, 888 (1984)). That product is then adjusted upward or downward based on other specific findings. Id.

A "reasonable hourly rate" is defined as the rate "prevailing in the community for similar services by lawyers of reasonably comparable skill, experience and reputation." Id. at 1348 (quoting Blum, 465 U.S. at 896 n.11). This rate is based on "the forum rate for the District of Columbia" rather than "the rate in the geographic area of the practice of petitioner's attorney." Rodriguez v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 632 F.3d 1381, 1384 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (citing Avera, 515 F. 3d at 1349). There is a "limited exception" that provides for attorneys' fees to be awarded at local hourly rates when "the bulk of the attorney's work is done outside the forum jurisdiction" and "there is a very significant difference" between the local hourly rate and forum hourly rate. Id. This is known as the Davis County exception. See Hall v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 640 F.3d 1351, 1353 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (citing Davis Cty. Solid Waste Mgmt. & Energy Recovery Special Serv. Dist. v. U.S. EPA, 169 F.3d 755, 758 (D.C. Cir. 1999)). For cases in which forum rates apply, McCulloch provides the framework for determining the appropriate hourly rate range for attorneys' fees based upon the attorneys' experience. See McCulloch v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 09-293V, 2015 WL 5634323 (Fed. Cl. Spec. Mstr. Sept. 1, 2015). The Office of Special Masters has issued a fee schedule that updates the McCulloch rates to account for inflation in subsequent years.3

Once the applicable hourly rate is determined, it is applied to the "number of hours reasonably expended on the litigation." Avera, 515 F.3d at 1348. Counsel should not include in their fee requests hours that are "excessive, redundant, or otherwise unnecessary." Saxton ex rel. Saxton v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 3 F.3d 1517, 1521 (Fed. Cir. 1993) (quoting Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 434 (1983)). "Unreasonably duplicative or excessive billing" includes "an attorney billing for a single task on multiple occasions, multiple attorneys billing for a single task, attorneys billing excessively for intra office communications, attorneys billing excessive hours, [and] attorneys entering erroneous billing entries." Raymo v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 129 Fed. Cl. 691, 703 (2016). While attorneys may be compensated for non-attorney-level work, the rate must be comparable to what would be paid for a paralegal or secretary. See O'Neill v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 08-243V, 2015 WL 2399211, at *9 (Fed. Cl. Spec. Mstr. Apr. 28, 2015). Clerical and secretarial tasks should not be billed at all, regardless of who performs them. See, e.g., McCulloch, 2015 WL 5634323, at *26. Hours spent traveling are ordinarily compensated at one-half of the normal hourly attorney rate. And "it is inappropriate for counsel to bill time for educating themselves about basic aspects of the Vaccine Program." Matthews v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No 14-1111V, 2016 WL 2853910, at *2 (Fed. Cl. Spec. Mstr. Apr. 18, 2016). Ultimately, it is "well within the Special Master's discretion to reduce the hours to a number that, in [her] experience and judgment, [is] reasonable for the work done." Saxton, 3 F.3d at 1522. In exercising that discretion, special masters may reduce the number of hours submitted by a percentage of the amount charged. See Broekelschen v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 102 Fed. Cl. 719, 728-29 (2011) (affirming special master's reduction of attorney and paralegal hours); Guy v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 38 Fed. Cl. 403, 406 (1997) (same).

Ultimately, special masters have substantial discretion in awarding fees and costs, and may adjust a fee request sua sponte, apart from objections raised by respondent and without providing petitioners with notice and opportunity to respond. See Sabella v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 86 Fed. Cl. 201, 209 (Fed. Cl. 2009). Special masters need not engage in a line-by-line analysis of petitioner's fee application when reducing fees. See Broekelschen, 102 Fed. Cl. at 729.

II. Discussion

A. Reasonable Hourly Rates

Petitioner requests $37,291.50 in attorneys' fees. Pet. Ex. 2, ECF No. 27-2. The requested rates, see id. at 16, are consistent with the rates previously found to be reasonable in cases involving petitioner's counsel. See, e.g., Reece v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 15-724V, 2017 WL 1967802, at *1 (Fed. Cl. Apr. 17, 2017); Knorr v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 15-1169V, 2017 WL 2461375, at *3 (Fed. Cl. Apr. 17, 2017). Therefore, the undersigned finds the requested rates to be reasonable.

B. Hours Reasonably Expended

Ordinarily, "[w]hen case-related work is performed during travel, the time sheets should reflect the work performed and the hours spent performing it." O'Neill v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 08-243V, 2015 WL 2399211, at *7 (Fed. Cl. Spec. Mstr. Apr. 28, 2015) (quoting Gruber ex rel. Gruber v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., 91 Fed. Cl. 773, 788 (2010)). And "[a]bsent documentation of the work performed by an attorney while he or she was traveling, the attorney will not be compensated at his or her full hourly rate for travel time." Id. Instead, those travel hours will be compensated "at one-half the standard hourly rate." Id.

Here, 28.2 of the hours billed by Chris Webb for travel do not contain any reference to the work performed during such travel.4 Additionally, activities such as driving a car are not the type to allow for simultaneously performing substantive work. See Romig v. Sec'y of Health & Human Servs., No. 15-0942V, 2016 WL 8378157, at *6 (Fed. Cl. Spec. Mstr. Nov. 15, 2016). Those hours will therefore be compensated at one-half of the normal hourly rate. For these reasons, the undersigned finds that the requested $37,291.50 should be reduced by $4,300.50 (28.2 hours at $152.50). Accordingly, $32,991.00 is awarded in attorneys' fees.

B. Attorneys' Costs

Petitioner requests a total amount of $7,586.24 in attorneys' costs. Pet. Ex. 2, ECF No. 27-2. The requested costs consist of the filing fee, shipping costs, medical record expenses, and traveling expenses. The undersigned finds petitioner's requested costs to be reasonable.

III. Total Award Summary

Based on the reasonableness of petitioner's request for attorneys' fees and costs for her vaccine attorney, the undersigned GRANTS IN PART petitioner's motion for attorneys' fees and costs. Accordingly, the undersigned awards a total amount of $40,577.245 representing reimbursement for attorneys' fees and costs, in the form of a check payable jointly to petitioner and petitioner's counsel, Michael G. McLaren, Esq. The clerk of the court is directed to enter judgment in accordance with this Decision.6

IT IS SO ORDERED.