Tucker v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2018cv00106 - Document 21 (W.D. Ky. 2019)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 5/16/2019. Because Plaintiff's Listing arguments are unpersuasive and the ALJ's decision is supported by substantial evidence, the Commissioner's final decision is hereby AFFIRMED, and Plaintiff's complaint is DISMISSED. cc: Counsel (CDF)
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Tucker v. Commissioner of Social Security Doc. 21 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : 8 CV 6 LLK CASEY JONATHAN TUCKER PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT v. NANCY A. BERRYHILL, A ti g Co issio er of So ial Se urit 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/la su issio e de i g his lai fo “o ial “e u it disa ilit a ies of the Plai tiff a d the Co issio e a e at Do kets # a d , a d the atte is ipe fo dete i atio . The pa ties ha e o se ted to the ju isdi tio of the u de sig ed Magist ate Judge to dete i e this ase, ith a appeal l i g efo e the “i th Ci uit Cou t of Appeals. Do ket # . Plai tiff a gues that his dege e ati e dis disease of the lu of Listi g § . a spi e satisfies the li i al ite ia , that his ajo dep essi e diso de satisfies Listi g § diso de satisfies Listi g § . the Cou t ill AFFIRM the Co . , a d that his so ial a iet . Be ause Plai tiff has ot p o e that his i pai e ts satisf the Listi gs, issio e ’s fi al de isio a d DI“MI““ Plai tiff’s o plai t. Plai tiff has ot prove that his dege erative dis disease of the lu ar spi e satisfies Listi g § . 4. Plai tiff p ese ts t o a gu e ts. Do ket # at , . His fi st a gu e t is that the ALJ failed to p ope l e aluate hethe [he] et o e ualed Listi g . . Do ket # at . Plai tiff a ies the u de of p o i g that the edi al ite ia of a listed i pai e t a e satisfied, a d this u de is st i tl o st ued e ause the Listi g ep ese ts a auto ati s ee i g i of a i pai e t as pe se disa li g i depe de tl of a othe edi al o o atio al o side atio . See Se ' of Health & Hu a Servi es v. Ze le , i pai U.“. , A i pai e t that a ifests o l so e of [a listed e t's] ite ia, o atte ho se e el , does ot ualif . ; Ela e rel. Gola v. Co 'r of So . Dockets.Justia.com Se ., F. d , th Ci . e ui e e ts of a listed i pai It is i suffi ie t that a lai a t o es lose to eeti g the e t. . The ALJ did ot e tio Listi g § . i his itte de isio Ad i ist ati e Re o d AR at , a d Plai tiff does ot state hi h su se tio s of the Listi g he alleges is satisfied Do ket # at . Ho e e , the ALJ did a k o ledge that Plai tiff suffe s f o se e e, o o atio all sig ifi a t, dege e ati e dis disease of the lu a o lusio that this i pai th Ci . a spi e AR at , a d the ALJ’s fa tual fi di gs ade uatel suppo t e t does ot satisf Listi g § . 'r, F. App’ , o e e si le e o he e ALJ ade suffi ie t fa tual fi di gs else he e i his de isio to suppo t his o lusio that a listed i pai Listi g § . . See Forrest v. Co e t as ot satisfied . p o ides that the follo i g diso de s of the spi e a e pe se disa li g: . . Diso de s of the spi e e.g., he iated u leus pulposus, spi al a a h oiditis, spi al ste osis, osteoa th itis, dege e ati e dis disease, fa et a th itis, e te al f a tu e , esulti g i o p o ise of a e e oot i ludi g the auda e ui a o the spi al o d. With: A. E ide e of e e oot o p essio ha a te ized eu o a ato i dist i utio of pai , li itatio of otio of the spi e, oto loss at oph ith asso iated us le eak ess o us le eak ess a o pa ied se so o efle loss a d, if the e is i ol e e t of the lo e a k, positi e st aight leg aisi g test sitti g a d supi e ; o B. “pi al a a h oiditis, o fi ed a ope ati e ote o patholog epo t of tissue iops , o app op iate edi all a epta le i agi g, a ifested se e e u i g o pai ful d sesthesia, esulti g i the eed fo ha ges i positio o postu e o e tha o e e e hou s; o C. Lu a spi al ste osis esulti g i pseudo laudi atio , esta lished fi di gs o app op iate edi all a epta le i agi g, a ifested h o i o adi ula pai a d eak ess, a d esulti g i i a ilit to a ulate effe ti el , as defi ed i . B . A Ap il lu osa al spi e MRI e ealed that Plai tiff suffe s f o e eali g a la ge dis p ot usio idli e a d left pa a edia at L “ that is displa i g the e iti g e e oot poste io l a d is a o i g the left eu al fo a e ith i i al a o i g of the ight eu al fo a e at this le el. AR at . Ho e e , this i pai e t does ot satisf Listi g § . A due to la k of e ide e that Plai tiff suffe s f o li itatio of otio of the spi e, oto loss at oph ith asso iated us le eak ess o us le eak ess a o pa ied se so o efle loss. Listi g . A . The ALJ i di ated that, ith spo adi e eptio s, Plai tiff e hi ited a full a ge of otio of the spi e, a d he sho ed o sig ifi a t oto loss, at oph , o us le eak ess, a d o se so o efle loss. AR at F, F, F, defi its , F, F, F ; see e.g. AR / oto st e gth , / oto st e gth , otio , o o al st e gth , full a ge of otio , ild eak ess i pa t of left leg , left leg , o / oto st e gth, o se so o o ild eak ess i pa t of left leg , o o al us le o al us le al efle es a d us le st e gth, full a ge of al us le st e gth a d efle es, full a ge of otio , al us le st e gth a d efle es , al us le st e gth a d efle es, full a ge of otio , otio , iti g E hi its F, / oto st e gth, o se so defi its , st e gth a d efle es, full a ge of otio , st e gth a d efle es , o full a ge of otio , al us le st e gth a d efle es, full a ge of otio , al st e gth , al a ge of full a ge of ild eak ess i pa t of o at oph o eak ess, full a ge of otio . Plai tiff has ot p o e that Listi g § . is satisfied i light of his epeatedl o otio of the spi e a d la k of A oto loss a o pa ied se so o efle loss. Plai tiff does ot allege that Listi g § . does ot e tio a a h oiditis. Listi g § . satisfied, a d his fa t/la su effe ti el . Listi g § . Do ket # a Do ket # B is satisfied, a d his fa t/la su B . Plai tiff does ot allege that Listi g § . C is does ot e tio ste osis o a i a ilit to a ulate C . Plai tiff does e tio s that he at , ut that does ot satisf a Do ket # C.F.R. § . B eed[s] to use a a e fo a . “e tio . B ulatio defi es i a ilit to a ulate effe ti el as ha i g i suffi ie t lo e e t e it fu tio i g … to pe it i depe de t a ulatio ithout the use of a ha d held assisti e de i e s that li its the fu tio i g of oth uppe e t e ities. The efo e, Plai tiff has ot p o e that his dege e ati e dis disease of the lu satisfies Listi g § . . a spi e Plai tiff has ot prove that his ajor depressive disorder satisfies Listi g § . 4 or that his so ial a iet disorder satisfies Listi g § . 6. I Ju e , Plai tiff as e a i ed the Co issio e ’s ps hologist, G eg V. L h, Ph.D. D . L h o luded that Plai tiff has I No e e ode ate to a ked li itatio s i t o fu tio al a eas. AR at , Plai tiff’s t eati g u se p a titio e , Ta ah Matthe s, APRN Ad a ed P a ti e Registe ed Nu se , o pleted the Residual Fu tio al Capa it Questio fo . , fi di g that Plai tiff is ai e Fo Ps hiat i Diso de s a kedl li ited i ost fu tio al a eas. AR at . The ALJ a k o ledged that Plai tiff suffe s f o ajo dep essi e diso de a d so ial a iet diso de . AR at . The ALJ ga e g eat eight to D . L Matthe s fi di gs. AR at , . The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff has the follo i g fu tio al li itatio s: Mild li itatio i u de sta di g, e e i te a ti g ith othe s; h’s fi di gs ut little eight to Nu se e i g, o appl i g i fo Mild li itatio i o e t ati g, pe sisti g, o Mode ate li itatio i adapti g o a agi g o eself. AR at i pai atio ; Mode ate li itatio i e ts do o satisf Listi g § . a d/o Listi g § ai tai i g pa e; a d . The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff’s e tal . e ause, to satisf the so alled pa ag aph B ite ia of these Listi gs, Plai tiff ould ha e to ha e o e e t e e o t o a ked li itatio s i the a o e fu tio al a eas. Id. Plai tiff’s se o d a d fi al a gu e t is that the ALJ failed to p ope l e aluate hethe [his e tal i pai e ts] eithe et o e ualed Listi g . a d . . Do ket # at . The ke o po e t of Plai tiff’s a gu e t is that the ALJ e ed i gi i g little eight to Nu se Matthe s fi di gs of a ked li itatio s i the B pa ag aph fu tio al a eas. AR at Matthe s fi di gs e ause the e a ple, i Jul , Nu se Matthe s epo ted that Plai tiff had edi atio s a d that his AR , Plai tiff’s s e e ot o siste t ith he o . The ALJ dis ou ted Nu se t eati g otes. AR at . Fo ade sig ifi a t p og ess o u e t ood/a iet [ e e] still sta le o e all. Id. efe e i g t eat e t otes at . Nu se Matthe s’ t eat e t otes efle t that fa o a le a d u fa o a le ha ges i pto s e e asso iated ith ha ges i edi atio , fo e a ple, de easi g the dosage of A ilif o stoppi g Pa il old tu ke . AR at efe e i g AR at , . The ALJ ide tified su sta tial easo s fo de li i g to fi d that Plai tiff has o e e t e e o t o a ked pa ag aph B fu tio al li itatio s. The efo e, Plai tiff has ot p o e that his ajo dep essi e a d so ial a iet diso de s satisf the Listi g. ORDER Be ause Plai tiff’s Listi g a gu e ts a e u pe suasi e a d the ALJ’s de isio is suppo ted su sta tial e ide e, the Co issio e ’s fi al de isio is he e AFFIRMED, a d Plai tiff’s o plai t is DI“MI““ED. May 16, 2019
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