Graham v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2016cv00008 - Document 17 (W.D. Ky. 2016)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION & ORDER by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 10/18/2016: The final decision of the Commissioner is AFFIRMED, and Plaintiffs complaint is DISMISSED. cc: counsel (JBM)
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Graham v. Commissioner of Social Security HORACE N. GRAHAM, Jr. Doc. 17 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : 6 CV 8 LLK PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT . CAROLYN W. COLVIN, Acti g Co issio er of Social Security 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 his 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 a d . The pa ties i e this ase, ith a appeal l i g efo e the “i th Ci uit Cou t of Appeals. Do ket . The ase is ipe fo dete i atio . Plai tiff’s p i a a e fa il ph si ia , “ a a Cha i, opi ed a dio pul o a est i tio s, hi h a e disa li g, ased o fi di gs of at pi al hest pai , ele ated lood p essu e, ilate al lu g odules, a d te de ess i the left hest all. Be ause these fi di gs do ot suppo t disa li g est i tio s a d e ause D . Cha i fou d that Plai tiff’s i pai last e ts a e ode ate a d ot e pe ted to o ths a d that his p og osis is good, the ALJ as ot e ui ed to a ept D . Cha i’s disa li g est i tio s. The efo e, the Cou t ill AFFIRM the Co issio e ’s fi al de isio a d DI“MI““ Plai tiff’s o plai t. Medical e ide ce pertai i g to Plai tiff cardio pul o ary i pair e ts Although the ALJ did ot list the a o g Plai tiff’s se e e, o o atio all sig ifi a t, i pai e ts, the ALJ a k o ledged that Plai tiff has a histo of hest pai , COPD [ h o i o st u ti e pul o a disease], a d h pe te sio . ALJ’s de isio , Ad i ist ati e Re o d AR , p. . Dockets.Justia.com I Fe ua , Plai tiff as a ea , pa k a da s oke . AR, p. hest pai , hea t palpitatio , a d sho t ess of eadi gs e e as high as / . AR, p. . He as o plai i g of eath, a d despite edi atio his lood p essu e . Plai tiff’s p i a a e fa il ph si ia , “ a a Cha i, efe ed hi to a diologist Na ik ish a Nai . D . Nai o de ed edi al tests, i ludi g a EKG, hi h e ealed “T &T a e a i di ati e of is he ia i ade uate lood suppl to the hea t . AR, p. o alities . A hest a sho ed ode ate a dio egal e la ged hea t, t pi all due to high lood p essu e , a d a e ho a diog a e ealed ode ate o e t i left e t i ula h pe t oph i Re al a d o o a a giog a s, ho e e , i di ated o . As pa t of these p o edu es, Plai tiff u de eased olu e . AR, pp. al, u e t lo ked a te ies. AR, pp. a d . a d ode ate sedatio a d as ated, pe A e i a “o iet of A esthesiologists A“A ite ia, as a Class I, o o al health patie t. AR, p. . I August, , Plai tiff as e a i ed at the e uest of the “o ial “e u it Ad i ist atio Edga Lopez “ues u , M.D. Plai tiff epo ted that he had ut do da s. His lood p essu e as I No e e / . AR, p. o s oki g to o e pa k e e fi e . , D . Nai o de ed a o o o a hest a giog a , hi h sho ed e ide e of COPD, i ludi g atele tasis o i filt ate i the ight lo e, a odule i the left lo e, a d hepati lesio s. AR, p. . I Ja ua , , the “o ial “e u it Ad i ist atio ’s p og a ph si ia , Lisa Beih , o pleted i light of the fo egoi g edi al e ide e the ph si al esidual fu tio al apa it RFC fo a e that is o siste t ith a a ilit to pe fo I Ap il AR, pp. ediu o k. AR, pp. . , D . Cha i o pleted at Plai tiff’s e uest the Ph si al Medi al “ou e “tate e t. . i a Dr. Cha i’s State e t “o e of D . Cha i’s fi di gs if a epted ould p e lude all full ti e o k at a e e tio al le el . “pe ifi all , a o di g to D . Cha i, Plai tiff ould e ui e o e to t o eaks pe hou o kda due to pai ; s i pai pto s ould keep hi off task i ute u s heduled % of the o kda ; a d e ts o t eat e t ould esult i t o o k a se es pe o th. AR, pp. a d . D . Cha i’s fi di gs that Plai tiff a sit a a i u of at least hou s pe hou o kda , sta d/ alk fo less tha hou s pe o kda , lift/ a pou ds o asio all , a d lift/ a less tha pou ds f e ue tl ould li it hi to sede ta o k. D . Cha i ased these fi di gs o diag oses of at pi al hest pai [a d] ilate al lu g odules, ith a good p og osis, ot e pe ted to last at least t el e o ths, a d ith e otio al fa to s o t i ut[i g] to the se e it of … patie t’s s s pto s a d fu tio al li itatio s. AR, p. . Plai tiff’s pto s o sist of episodes of sha p pai i left hest … ith histo of dep essio a d a iet , a d the hest pai is i te itte t [a d] od[e atel ] se e e. Id. Whe asked to ide tif the o je ti e li i al fi di gs a d sig s suppo ti g his fi di gs, D . Cha i espo ded: ele ated BP [ lood p essu e a d] palpa le te de ess i left hest all. Id. The ALJ’s decisio The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff suffe s f o se e e, o o atio all sig ifi a t, dep essi e diso de a d e ea e e t. ALJ’s de isio , AR, p. . Ph si all , the ALJ li ited Plai tiff to ediu o k ith additio al o e e tio al est i tio s that e ui e that he e a le to sit fo o e to t o “ede ta o k i ol es lifti g o o e tha pou ds at a ti e ith o asio all lifti g o a i g a ti les like do ket files, ledge s, a d s all tools. “o ial “e u it Ruli g ““R , WL . The full a ge of sede ta o k e ui es sitti g fo app o i atel hou s i a hou o kda . The e t highe e e tio al le el is light o k. Light o k i ol es lifti g o o e tha pou ds at a ti e ith f e ue t lifti g o a i g of o je ts eighi g up to pou ds. The full a ge of light o k e ui es sta di g o alki g, off a d o , fo a total of app o i atel hou s of a hou o kda . Mediu o k i ol es lifti g o o e tha pou ds at a ti e ith f e ue t lifti g o a i g of o je ts eighi g up to pou ds. The full a ge of ediu o k e ui es sta di g o alki g, off a d o , fo a total of app o i atel hou s i a hou o kda ith sitti g o u i g i te itte tl du i g the e ai i g ti e. i utes e e p. i utes … i a lea ai e i o e t [ ith o] fast pa ed o uota d i e o k. AR, . The ALJ ga e eight to D . Beih ’s fi di g that Plai tiff is apa le of pe fo ith so e e i o e tal li itatio s. ALJ’s de isio , AR, p. i g ediu o k . The ALJ dis ou ted D . Cha i’s disa li g fi di gs e ause D . Cha i diag osed Plai tiff o l ith at pi al hest pai a d ilate al lu g odules; D . Cha i fou d that Plai tiff has a good p og osis; a d the e as la k of o je ti e e ide e of sig ifi a t i pai e t. AR, p. . Additio all , the ALJ fou d D . Cha i’s fi di gs to e i o siste t ith Plai tiff’s ge e al appea a e at the ad i ist ati e hea i g, his a ti ities of dail li i g, a d li ited t eat e t fo a dio pul o a i pai e t. Id. Plai tiff’s clai Plai tiff a k o ledged o te ds that, i additio to se e e dep essi e diso de a d e ea e e t the ALJ, he suffe s f o se e e hest pai , COPD, a d h pe te sio , hi h, pe D . Cha i’s opi io , p e lude all o k a d/o li it hi to sede ta o k. If li ited to sede ta o k, Rules . a d . of Appe di of the egulatio s di e t a ulti ate fi di g of disa led i this ase. Appe di p o ides fo a o lusi e p esu ptio of disa ilit if a lai a t eets e tai edi al o atio al p ofiles ased o age, edu atio , p e ious o k e pe ie e, a d a i u sustai ed o k apa ilit . Age: Plai tiff as losel app oa hi g ad a ed age i.e., to ea s old f o the date of his alleged o set of disa ilit Ma h , th ough his th i thda De e e , ; he as of ad a ed age i.e., a d olde f o his th i thda th ough the date of the ALJ’s de isio Jul , . Edu atio : Plai tiff is a high s hool g aduate o o e does ot p o ide fo di e t e t i to skilled o k . Pre ious ork e perie e: Plai tiff’s p e ious o k e pe ie e as skilled o se iskilled skills ot t a sfe a le . Ma i u sustai ed ork apa ilit : The pa ties do ot dispute these fa to s of age, edu atio , a d p e ious o k e pe ie e ut disag ee as to Plai tiff’s a i u sustai ed o k apa ilit . Rules . a d . : I light of the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff has a a i u sustai ed o k apa ilit fo ediu o k, the ALJ ited Rules . a d . of Appe di as a f a e o k fo de isio aki g. Rule . applies to a i di idual losel app oa hi g ad a ed age; Rule . applies to a i di idual of ad a ed age; oth di e t a ulti ate fi di g of ot disa led. Rules . a d . . If Plai tiff is li ited to light o k, Rule . applies to a i di idual losel app oa hi g ad a ed age a d di e ts a fi di g of ot disa led ; Rule . applies to a i di idual of ad a ed age a d di e ts a fi di g of disa led. Rules . a d . : If Plai tiff is li ited to sede ta o k, Rules . a d . di e t a fi di g of disa led. The rules for eighi g treati g source edical opi io s 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. Co t olli g eight is a te C.F.R. . . 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 . Fi di gs a d co clusio s . The ALJ as ot e ui ed to gi e o t olli g eight to D . Cha i’s fi di gs that p e lude all full ti e o k a d/o li it hi to sede ta o k e ause: a. “u je ti e, e otio al fa to s, high lood p essu e, a d hest te de ess do ot o stitute ade uate suppo ti g ases fo disa li g ph si al li itatio s; . D . Cha i ga e Plai tiff a good p og osis a d stated that his i pai last o ths. “ee U.“.C. § d A To e disa li g, a i pai e e pe ted to last fo a o ti uous pe iod of ot less tha e ts a e ot e pe ted to e t ust ha e lasted o a o ths . . The ALJ as ot e ui ed to gi e ase dispositi e eight to D . Cha i’s disa li g est i tio s e ause: a. D . Cha i left la k the po tio of his “tate e t that asked hi a out the f e ue le gth of o ta t ith patie t AR, p. elatio ship a d f e ue efe i g to fa to . a d i , le gth of t eat e t of e a i atio ; . D . Cha i’s disa li g fi di gs e e ot ell suppo ted fa to ; . D . Cha i’s fi di gs, hi h ould li it Plai tiff to sede ta o k, e e i o siste t ith D . Beih ’s fi di gs, hi h allo ed fo ediu o k fa to , o siste ; d. D . Cha i opi ed disa li g a dio pul o a li itatio s, ut D . Nai as the t eati g / e a i i g a diologist fa to , spe ializatio . . The ALJ’s eighi g of D . Cha i’s opi io as suppo ted a o d ith the appli a le legal sta da ds at C.F.R. . su sta tial e ide e a d as i et se . . The ALJ did ot e i fi di g that Plai tiff has a RFC fo ediu o k ith additio al o e e tio al a d e i o e tal est i tio s. ORDER The efo e, it is he e ORDERED that the fi al de isio of the Co Plai tiff’s o plai t is DI“MI““ED. October 18, 2016 issio e is AFFIRMED, a d
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