Burris v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 5:2016cv00092 - Document 24 (W.D. Ky. 2017)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 4/13/2017 - Plaintiff's motion for judgment on the pleadings 16 is DENIED. The Commissioner's final decision is AFFIRMED. Plaintiff's complaint is DISMISSED. cc: Counsel(DAK)
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Burris v. Commissioner of Social Security Doc. 24 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY PADUCAH DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : CV 9 LLK ROBERT ALAN BURRIS PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT . NANCY A. BERRYHILL, A ti g Co issio er of So ial Se 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. Plai tiff’s issio e de i g his lai fo “o ial “e u it disa ilit otio fo judg e t o the pleadi gs i.e., the ad i ist ati e e o d a d Defe da t’s fa t a d la su a i oppositio a e at Do kets to the ju isdi tio of the u de sig ed Magist ate Judge to dete efo e the “i th Ci uit Cou t of Appeals. Do ket a d . The pa ties ha e o se ted i e this ase, ith a appeal l i g . Be ause, at o st, Plai tiff’s a gu e ts ide tif a ha otio fo judg e t o the pleadi gs, AFFIRM the Co less e o , the Cou t ill DENY Plai tiff’s issio e ’s fi al de isio , a d DI“MI““ Plai tiff’s o plai t. Har less Error Re ie The p i iple that judi ial e ie o te plates a defe e tial e ie of fi al age deepl e ha U.“. , The less e o do t i e is i te ded to p e e t e ie i g ou ts f o e o i g i p eg a le itadels of te h i alit o edded i ase la . “ee, fo e a ple, “hi seki . “a de s, de isio s is ; Hesto . Co itted th Ci . the ALJ u issio e , F. d , th Ci . e essa he e su h e o as ha [N]o p i iple of ad i ist ati e la o o Re a d to o e t a e o less ; Fishe . “e eta , F. d , o se se e ui es us to e a d a ase i uest of a pe fe t opi io u less the e is easo to elie e that the e a d ight lead to a diffe e t esult ; Be hill . “e eta , WL th Ci . [T]he ou t ill e a d the ase to the Dockets.Justia.com age fo fu the o side atio o l if the ou t is i su sta tial dou t hethe the ad i ist ati e age ould ha e ade the sa e ulti ate fi di g ith the e o eous fi di g e o ed f o the pi tu e . A y u supported fi di g that Plai tiff e gaged i su sta tial gai ful a ti ity SGA as har less. The egulatio s p o ulgated the Co issio e esta lish a step se ue tial e aluatio p o ess: . If the lai a t is doi g su sta tial gai ful a ti it , the lai a t is ot disa led. . If the lai a t does ot ha e a se e e edi all dete i.e., a i pai i a le ph si al o e tal i pai e t that sig ifi a tl li its his o he ph si al o e t e tal a ilit to do asi o k a ti ities , the lai a t is ot disa led. . If the lai a t has a se e e i pai i Appe di of the egulatio s a d the . If the lai a t's i pai e t satisf i g the edi al ite ia of a i pai e t listed o th du atio e ui e e t, the lai a t is disa led. e t s a d asso iated est i tio s do ot p e e t hi f o doi g his past ele a t o k, the lai a t is ot disa led. . If the lai a t a pe fo e o o Ru , he is ot disa led. Othe e s . Co issio e , F. d othe o k e isti g i sig ifi a t u e s i the atio al ise, he is disa led. , th Ci . iti g C.F.R. § . . Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ’s fi st step fi di g that he e gaged i su sta tial gai ful a ti it “GA du i g the ti e i hi h he alleges disa ilit as u suppo ted su sta tial e ide e. The ALJ’s fi di gs a e e ui o al as to hethe Plai tiff a tuall e gaged i “GA. Rega dless, the ad i ist ati e la judge ALJ did ot de Plai tiff’s disa ilit lai at “tep of the se ue tial e aluatio p o ess. The de isio ’s full “tep dis ussio upo hi h the ALJ did ot ulti atel el is as follo s: The lai a t testified that he o ked i a o e sto k sto e si e hea i g testi o . The lai a t testified that he o ked o e tha hou s pe eek. The lai a t as still o ki g the e as of Ju e . He appea s to ha e Be ause the ALJ o ti ued the se ue tial e aluatio p o ess e o d “tep he e “GA is ele a t a d de ied Plai tiff’s disa ilit lai at the fifth a d fi al step, a e o at “tep as, at o st, ha less. A y u supported RFC fi di g as har less. The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff’s dep essio , a ge /pe so alit diso de , a d al ohol/d ug a use li it hi to o pu li o ta t o k a d o o e tha supe fi ial o asio al o ta t ith supe iso s a d o e plo ees. ALJ’s de isio , ad i ist ati e e o d AR , pp. I No e e , the Co a d . issio e ’s o e a i i g p og a ps hologist, Ed Ross, Ph.D., opi ed, ased o the e ide e as a hole, that Plai tiff is li ited to si ple, outi e a d epetiti e tasks i a o k e i o e t f ee of fast pa ed p odu tio e ui e e ts, i ol i g o l si ple o k elated de isio s, ith fe , if a o k pla e ha ges. He should ha e o l ief, i f e ue t a d supe fi ial o ta t ith othe s. AR, p. . I his itte de isio , the ALJ ha a te ized D . Ross’ opi io as li iti g Plai tiff to u skilled o k ith o asio al i te a ts ith othe s. AR, p. . The ALJ a epted D . Ross’ fi di g of Plai tiff’s eed fo o l o asio al i te a tio ith othe s as a so ial li itatio [that] takes i to a ou t the lai a t’s past histo of a ge out u sts hea i g testi o . Id. The ALJ, ho e e , eje ted D . Ross’ fi di g that Plai tiff is li ited to u skilled o k e ause the lai a t had i p o ed o e t atio he keepi g up ith t eat e t a d e ai i g so e . Id. The ALJ ga e D . Ross’ opi io as a hole so e eight. Id. Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ’s eje tio of D . Ross’ fi di g that he is li ited to u skilled o k is u suppo ted su sta tial e ide e e ause it is u suppo ted a o t a edi al opi io . Do ket , p. . Plai tiff ites to ase la ithi this Ci uit, i ludi g p e ede t f o this Cou t, to the effe t that, e ause ALJs a e u ualified to i te p et edi al data i fu tio al te s, a ALJ a ot ade ash o u epo ted i o e, hi h appea s to ha e ee “GA hea i g testi o . Ho e e , si e the i o e has ot ee o pletel e ified, the u de sig ed o ti ues ith the e ti e disa ilit a al sis. ALJ’s de isio , AR, p. . effe ti el eje t e e edi al opi io i the ad i ist ati e e o d ega di g hat a lai a t a still do despite his i pai e ts a d the p o eed dete i e the lai a t’s esidual fu tio al apa it RFC ased solel o o edi al fa to s a d the ALJ’s o la i p essio s. The Co the othe ha d, ites autho ities fo the p opositio that that a ALJ’s dete ust e ased o a o side atio of the issio e , o i atio of a lai a t’s RFC edi al a d o edi al e ide e as a hole, ith a e phasis o the latte . The e is o ight li e test fo dete i i g he a lai a t’s RFC a p ope l e dete ased solel o o edi al e ide e Co issio e , : F.“upp. d , CV D.Co LLK, . ith o suppo ti g WL o t a , i the a se e of o peti g . issio e , o pelli g o edi al e ide e to the edi al opi io s, the the e is ot su sta tial e ide e e essa to suppo t the ALJ's [RFC] dete asso iated s edi al opi io . “ee B o W.D.K . uoti g Ca p ell . Co Whe e the e is o i ed i atio . I ge e al, the o e the i pai e t a d pto s a e su je ti e i atu e as opposed to ph si al/o je ti e/ li i al , the o e likel it is that solel o edi al fa to s a e suffi ie t. I this ase, the Cou t eed ot de ide o hi h side of the u ight li e des i ed a o e this ase falls e ause the jo s ide tified the o atio al e pe t VE a d elied o the ALJ i suppo t “ee Do ket , p. iti g B o . Co issio e , : CV LLK, WL W.D.K . Ha i g eje ted all edi al opi io s of e o d pe tai i g to the Plai tiff's RFC …, the ALJ’s RFC … as ot suppo ted su sta tial e ide e . “ee Do ket , pp. iti g “o ial “e u it Ruli g ““R p A edi al sou e state e t is o l o e of se e al fa to s that a ALJ o side s i dete i i g a lai a t’s RFC a d “i pso . Co issio e , Fed.App . , th Ci . A ALJ is p ohi ited o l f o o pletel dis ega di g a edi al opi io . If p essed, the Cou t ould e i li ed to e o the side of p ese i g the ALJ’s de isio . “ee Blakle . Co issio e , F. d , th Ci . The su sta tial e ide e sta da d of e ie p esupposes that the e is a zo e of hoi e ithi hi h the ALJ a go eithe a ithout judi ial i fe e e . Nea the o lusio of the ad i ist ati e hea i g, the ALJ o e ted: I thi k the ’ e got ou at u skilled o k. You sou d like ou’ e u h o e i tellige t tha ou tested. … Well ou’ e do e i e toda . You p ese ted ou self. AR, pp. . It is ot self e ide e that D . Ross, ho e e sa Plai tiff, as i a ette positio tha the ALJ to assess hethe Plai tiff as t ul li ited to u skilled o k. of his fifth step de ial de isio a e, i fa t, u skilled. He e, a e o o itted the ALJ i eje ti g D . Ross’ opi io , hi h the ALJ ha a te ized as li iti g Plai tiff to u skilled o k, as, at o st, ha less. Order Plai tiff’s otio fo judg e t o the pleadi gs Do ket is DENIED, the Co issio e ’s fi al de isio is AFFIRMED, a d Plai tiff’s o plai t is DI“MI““ED. April 13, 2017 The VE testified that all the jo s of s all p odu ts asse le , lau d so te , lea e , a d i spe to a e “VP a d “VP . AR, pp. . “VP, o spe ifi o atio al p epa atio , ea s the a ou t of lapsed ti e e ui ed a t pi al o ke to lea the te h i ues, a ui e the i fo atio , a d de elop the fa ilit eeded fo a e age pe fo a e i a spe ifi jo o ke situatio . C.F.R. § . . A ati g of “VP ea s a sho t de o st atio is the a ou t of t ai i g e ui ed to lea the jo , a d a ati g of “VP ea s up to o e o th of t ai i g is e ui ed to lea the jo . Id. The egulatio s defi e u skilled o k as o k hi h eeds little o o judg e t to do si ple duties that a e lea ed o the jo i a sho t pe iod of ti e ... a d a pe so a usuall lea to do the jo i da s, a d little spe ifi o atio al p epa atio a d judg e t a e eeded. C.F.R. § . .
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