Walker v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2015cv00150 - Document 23 (W.D. Ky. 2016)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 10/28/2016. It is hereby ORDERED that the final decision of the Commissioner is AFFIRMED and Plaintiff's complaint is DISMISSED.cc:counsel (JWM)
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Walker v. Commissioner of Social Security JANET P. WALKER Doc. 23 UNITED “TATE“ DI“TRICT COURT WE“TERN DI“TRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVI“ION CIVIL ACTION NO. : 5 CV 5 LLK PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT . CAROLYN W. COLVIN, A ti g Co issio er of “o ial “e urity MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This atte is efo e the Cou t o Plai tiff's o plai t seeki g judi ial e ie , pu sua t to U.“.C. g , of the fi al de isio of the Co e efits. The fa t a d la su issio e de i g he lai fo “o ial “e u it disa ilit a ies of Plai tiff a d Defe da t a e at Do kets ha e o se ted to the ju isdi tio of the u de sig ed Magist ate Judge to dete appeal l i g efo e the “i th Ci uit Cou t of Appeals. Do ket Be ause the ALJ’s de isio as suppo ted a d . The pa ties i e this ase, ith a . The ase is ipe fo dete i atio . su sta tial e ide e i the ad i ist ati e e o d a d as i a o d ith appli a le legal sta da ds, the Cou t ill AFFIRM the Co issio e ’s fi al de isio a d DI“MI““ Plai tiff’s o plai t. Dis ussio Plai tiff alleges that she e a e disa led at the age of i De e e , he he daughte , g a ddaughte , a d so i la e e killed i a a ide t, a d she has su se ue tl ee u a le to etu to o k due to e ea e e t. “he fu the alleges that he disa ilit lai is suppo ted ph si al i pai e ts. The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff suffe s f o se e e, o o atio all sig ifi a t, h o i leg a d left shoulde pai , h o i lo a k pai ith ea l a th iti ha ges, dia etes ellitus, pe iphe al eu opath , is he i hea t disease, a d dep essi e diso de . ALJ’s de isio at ad i ist ati e e o d AR , p. . The ALJ fou d that plai tiff’s dep essio li its he to si ple, outi e, epetiti e, slo pa ed tasks AR, p. a d that, ot ithsta di g he ph si al i pai e ts, the e a e a sig ifi a t u e of Dockets.Justia.com light a d sede ta jo s i the atio al e o o AR, p. she is e tall a d ph si all apa le of pe fo i g . Plai tiff aises fi e o te tio s, o e of hi h is pe suasi e. The psy hiatrist’s opi io does ot esta lish e tal disa ility. Fi st, Plai tiff elies o the opi io of ps hiat ist D. Cathe i e Mille . I Jul , D . Mille oted that Plai tiff as appl i g fo disa ilit e efits e ause she has ee u a le to go a k to o k si e he daughte ’s death a d opi ed that e plo e t setti g ithi t o ea s a hethe she ill e o e suffi ie tl to fu tio i a ot e p edi ted. AR, pp. a d . D . Mille ’s opi io does ot esta lish that Plai tiff is disa led e ause disa ilit is defi ed as a a tual i a ilit to e gage i a su sta tial gai ful a ti it ph si al o e tal i pai easo of a edi all dete i a le e t hi h a e e pe ted to esult i death o hi h has lasted o a e e pe ted to last fo a o ti uous pe iod of ot less tha o ths. U.“.C. d A . A lai a t’s ot etu i g to the o k fo e follo i g a t au a, oupled ith a ps hiat ist’s u e tai t as to he a ilit to etu is i suffi ie t. The treati g physi ia ’s opi io does ot esta lish physi al disa ility. “e o d, Plai tiff o te ds that the ALJ as o liged to a ept the opi io of he t eati g ph si ia , E i Lo , that she a sit/sta d ith a optio at a o k statio fo a a i u of less tha hou s pe hou o kda a d that she ould e e pe ted to iss o k all the ti e. AR, p. . It is u disputed that a epta e of these opi io s ould e de Plai tiff disa led, i.e., i apa le of a full ti e o k. A t eati g ph si ia ’s edi al opi io is e titled to o t olli g eight if it is ell suppo ted edi all a epta le li i al a d la o ato diag osti te h i ues a d is ot i o siste t ith the othe su sta tial e ide e i [the ad i ist ati e] ase e o d. C.F.R. . . Rules . a d . of Appe di of the egulatio s di e t a ulti ate fi di g of ot disa led if Plai tiff is li ited to light a d sede ta o k, espe ti el . Co t olli g eight is a te of a t i the se se that, e e if the ALJ does ot gi e a t eati g sou e’s opi io o t olli g eight, it a e e theless e e titled to ase dispositi e eight, that is, g eate eight tha a othe opi io i the e o d. Whe [the ALJ] do[es] ot gi e the t eati g sou e's opi io o t olli g eight, [the ALJ ust] appl the fa to s [listed at “e tio th ough ] i dete . i i g the eight to gi e the opi io . These fa to s a e le gth of the t eat e t elatio ship a d f e ue of e a i atio , atu e a d e te t of t eat e t, suppo ta ilit of the opi io ased o edi al sig s a d la o ato fi di gs, o siste hole, the ph si ia ’s spe ializatio if a of the opi io ith the e o d as a , a d a othe ele a t fa to . The ALJ as ot e ui ed to gi e o t olli g eight to D . Lo ’s disa li g opi io s e ause D . Lo ’s fi di gs a e i te all i o siste t. This is e ause D . Lo also fou d that Plai tiff a sit fo hou s ith sho t eaks e e hou s , sta d fo less tha hou s, a d alk fo less tha o e half ile pe hou o kda . AR, p. . Additio all , the ALJ as ot e ui ed to gi e o t olli g eight to a of D . Lo ’s fi di gs, o tai ed o the Residual Fu tio al Capa it Assess e t fo left la k the diag osis es a d o e ts se tio of the fo a d othe hat, if a , o je ti e edi al fi di gs suppo ted his opi io s. “ee eight is o i g a t eati g ph si ia ’s opi io o l if it is C.F.R. , e ause D . Lo ise ga e o i di atio . Co t olli g ell suppo ted edi all a epta le li i al a d la o ato diag osti te h i ues . The Cou t a d Plai tiff ould ha e to spe ulate as to hat, if a thi g, D . Lo elie ed suppo ted his disa li g fi di gs. The ALJ as ot e ui ed to gi e dispositi e eight to D . Lo ’s disa li g fi di gs i light of the ALJ’s o side atio of the ele a t fa to s at “e tio . th ough . “pe ifi all , the ALJ ga e little eight to D . Lo ’s less tha sede ta , less tha full ti e est i tio s … as these a e ot o siste t ith the o je ti e fi di gs. ALJ’s de isio at AR, p. . I stead, the ALJ ga e sig ifi a t eight to the fi di gs of “o ial “e u it ’s o e ti e o sulta t, J. Ro Watso , M.D. opi io at AR, p. efe i g to a ati e epo t at AR, pp. , a d of o e a i i g p og a ph si ia , Diosdado I la dez efe i g to AR, pp. , hi h a e o pati le ith light o k. Additio all , the ALJ a epted the opi io of as ula su geo “ ott Copela d that the Plai tiff’s s pto s a e disp opo tio ate to the ph si al fi di gs a d she should a tuall [ e] e ou aged [to pe fo g eate le el of ph si al a ti it efe i g to AR, p. ] a . The ALJ’s de isio as ot defe ti e for faili g to address Dr. Copela d’s fi di gs. Thi d, Plai tiff o te ds that the ALJ’s de isio is defi ie t e ause it did ot e pli itl add ess a otatio “ ott Copela d, M.D., that a CT a giog a as i te p eted as sho i g of the left supe fi ial fe o al a te a d pe e t ste osis pe e t ste osis of he ight e te al ilia a te . AR, p. . Rega dless of its sou e, e [“o ial “e u it ] ill e aluate e e edi al opi io e e ei e. C.F.R. . . This does ot ea , ho e e , that a ALJ’s de isio ust e pli it efe e e a d dis uss e e pie e of edi al e ide e. “ee Ko e k . Co Ci . issio e , Fed. App' [A] ALJ a o side all the e ide e ithout di e tl add essi g i his e e pie e of e ide e su itted a pa t , th itte de isio . A egulato iolatio o u s o l he a ALJ eje ts a hole li e of e ide e. Id. Plai tiff has p o ided o e ide e that D . Copela d’s fi di gs ega di g leg a te ste osis p e lude all light a d sede ta o k. “ee Higgs . “e eta , e e diag osis of [a i pai Co issio e , F. d , th Ci . e t] ... sa s othi g a out the se e it of the o ditio WL E.D.Mi h. uoti g Ngu e . “e eta , F. d , Re ie i g ou ts a e si pl ot ualified to i te p et a edi al data i fu tio al te The ; Fe ste e . st Ci . s . The fe o al a te is lo ated i the thigh, e te di g f o the e te al ilia a te do the leg, suppl i g lood to the lo e po tio of the od . Meado s . Co issio e , WL . “.D.W.Va. . “te osis is the a o i g of a a te , usuall aused athe os le osis. Da is . Co issio e , WL . W.D.Mo. . The ALJ’s de isio as ot defe ti e for faili g to address Dr. “ h a k’s fi di g Afte the ad i ist ati e hea i g ut efo e the ALJ issued his de isio , Plai tiff su edi al e o ds f o eu osu geo Willia “ h a k. E hi it F, AR, pp. itted . A o g othe thi gs, D . “ h a k fou d e ide e of e i algia ith pa esthesias o hat appea s to e a C de ato e o the left. AR, p. . The Appeals Cou il ot the ALJ ad itted E hi it F as pa t of the ad i ist ati e e o d. AR, p. . Plai tiff’s fou th o te tio is that the ALJ’s de isio is defe ti e fo faili g to add ess the e ide e f o D . “ h a k, pa ti ula l i light of the ALJ’s assu a es at the hea i g that he ould o side the e ide e if su itted p o ptl . Plai tiff i sists that he did ti el su it the e ide e, a d the ALJ u fai l did ot ake the e ide e pa t of the e o d a d e pli itl dis uss it i his itte de isio . The Cou t has autho it to o side D . “ h a k’s fi di gs pu sua t to “e te e o “e te e of U.“.C. g . These su se tio s appl to e ie of e ide e that as a d as ot fai l efo e the ALJ, espe ti el . U de eithe sta da d, Plai tiff’s elia e o D . “ h a k’s fi di gs is u pe suasi e. The efo e, the Cou t de li es to opi e ith espe t to the fai ess of the ALJ’s t eat e t of the e ide e f o D . “ h a k. U de “e te e , Plai tiff’s elia e o D . “ h a k’s fi di gs is u pe suasi e fo esse tiall the sa e easo s he thi d o te tio is u pe suasi e: The e is o e ide e that D . “ h a k’s fi di gs, i ludi g his fi di g that Plai tiff has e i algia, p e lude the light a d sede ta jo s the ALJ fou d Plai tiff a pe fo . “ee Higgs a d Fe ste e , sup a. U de “e te e , the Cou t a o side e ide e that as ot efo e the ALJ fo the li ited pu pose of dete i i g hethe , upo a sho i g of good ause fo late su issio of the e ide e, the Ce i algia is e k pai , o dis o fo t i a of the st u tu es i the e k, i ludi g the us les, e es, o es e te ae , a d the disks et ee the o es. Le e ue . Co issio e , WL . E.D.Mi h. . Pa esthesia is a a o al tou h se satio , su h as u i g, p i kli g, o fo i atio , ofte i the a se e of a e te al sti ulus. Rios . Co issio e , WL . N.D.Ill. . e ide e is ate ial. E ide e is ate ial if the e is a easo a le p o a ilit that the Co issio e ould ha e ea hed a diffe e t dispositio of the disa ilit lai if p ese ted ith the e e ide e. “ize o e . “e eta , F. d , th Ci . . While the e as a gua l good ause e usi g the ALJ’s de isio to t eat the e ide e f o D . “ h a k as ot efo e the ALJ i.e., the ALJ’s p esu ed u fai ess i ot ad itti g the e ide e , Plai tiff has failed to de o st ate ate ialit of the e ide e. The ALJ’s de isio as ot defe ti e due to a i o plete list of se ere i pair e ts. Plai tiff’s fifth a d fi al o te tio is that the ALJ e ed i ot e og izi g that she suffe s f o se e e, o o atio all sig ifi a t, e i algia, pe iphe al as ula disease, a d Although these i pai e ts e e ot spe ifi all listed a o g Plai tiff’s se e e i pai e ea e e t. e ts AR, p. , the ALJ dis ussed Plai tiff’s e k a , pe iphe al a te disease i the legs, a d the fi di gs of he e ea e e t ou selo . AR, pp. a d . Whe e as he e , the ALJ ade uatel o side ed the li iti g effe ts of all se e e a d o se e e i pai i pai e t i the list of se e e i pai F. d i pai , th Ci . e ts as a hole, the ALJ's ot i ludi g a spe ifi e ts does ot o stitute e e si le e o . Mazia z . “e eta , ; see also Higgs, sup a The u de is o Plai tiff to p o e that a e t is se e e . Order It is he e ORDERED that the fi al de isio of the Co o plai t is DI“MI““ED. October 28, 2016 issio e is AFFIRMED a d Plai tiff’s
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