Adams v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2018cv00142 - Document 20 (W.D. Ky. 2019)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 10/30/2019. Plaintiff's arguments are not persuasive and the Administrative Law Judge's decision is supported by substantial evidence, the Commissioner's final decision is hereby AFFIRMED and Plaintiff's complaint is DISMISSED. cc:counsel (JWM)
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Adams v. Commissioner of Social Security KELLY R. ADAMS Doc. 20 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : 8 CV 4 LLK PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT v. ANDREW SAUL, 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. 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 # a d . The pa ties i e this ase, ith a . The Ad i ist ati e La Judge ALJ fou d, a o g othe thi gs, that Plai tiff’s dege e ati e dis disease does ot satisf the li i al ite ia of Listi g . etai s the a ilit to pe fo AR at , a sig ifi a t u of Appe di of the egulatio s a d that Plai tiff e of jo s i the atio al e o o . Plai tiff a gues that these fi di gs e e ot suppo ted ad i ist ati e e o d. Do ket # . Ad i ist ati e Re o d su sta tial e ide e i the . Be ause Plai tiff’s a gu e ts a e ot pe suasi e a d the ALJ’s de isio as suppo ted su sta tial e ide 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. Plai tiff has ot alleged suffi ie t fa ts to prove her dege erative dis disease satisfies Listi g . 4. Listi g . p o ides that the follo i g edi al i pai e ts a e pe se disa li g: . Disorders 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: Dockets.Justia.com 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 . Listi g . , egulatio s, Appe di . The ALJ fou d that the e is a la k of e ide e that Plai tiff’s dege e ati e dis disease satisfies Listi g . : [T]he edi al e ide e does ot esta lish the e uisite e ide e of e e oot o p essio , spi al a a h oiditis o lu a spi al ste osis as e ui ed u de Listi g . , Diso de s of the “pi e. Mo eo e , the e is o e ide e that the lai a t’s a k diso de has esulted i a i a ilit to a ulate effe ti el , as defi ed i . B . AR at . I othe o ds, the ALJ fou d that Plai tiff does ot satisf Listi g . e ide e of e e oot o p essio ; she does ot satisf Listi g . a a h oiditis; a d she does ot satisf Listi g . a d/o i a ilit to a A due to a la k of B due to la k of e ide e of spi al C due to la k of e ide e of lu a spi al ste osis ulate effe ti el . Plai tiff’s fi st a gu e t is that the ALJ’s fi di g that he dege e ati e dis disease does ot satisf Listi g . is ot suppo ted su sta tial e ide e. Do ket # at . Plai tiff a ies the u de of p o i g that he dege e ati e dis disease satisfies the Listi g. S ith Joh so v. Co , th Ci . 'r, F. App' . To satisf this u de , she ust poi t to spe ifi e ide e that de o st ates [s]he easo a l ould eet o e ual e e e ui e e t of the [L]isti g. Id. Plai tiff’s a gu e t is u pe suasi e e ause she has eithe alleged o sho spi al a a h oiditis, lu that she suffe s f o e e oot o p essio , a spi al ste osis, o i a ilit to a ulate effe ti el . The ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff a perfor a sig ifi a t u er of jo s i the atio al e o o y is supported y su sta tial evide e. The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff a pe fo a sig ifi a t u e of jo s i the atio al e o o ased o a epta e of testi o f o a o atio al e pe t VE , hi h o te plated, a o g othe thi gs, o ki g ostl alo e, ot i tea s, ha i g asual o ta t ith supe iso s o o o ke s, o pu li . AR at dis epa . Plai tiff a gues that su sta tial e ide e does ot suppo t this fi di g due to a et ee the o atio al testi o a d the ALJ’s esidual fu tio al apa it RFC fi di g, hi h fou d, a o g othe thi gs, that Plai tiff ould eed a jo o ki g ostl alo e, ith o l asual, o asio al e phasis added o ta t ith o o ke s a d supe iso s. AR at . A VE’s espo se to a h potheti al uestio a se e as su sta tial e ide e suppo ti g a ALJ's de isio o l if the uestio a u atel po t a s [the lai a t’s] i di idual ph si al a d i pai e ts. Ealy v. Co Hu a Servs., F. d 'r, , F. d th Ci . , th Ci . e tal uoti g Varley v. Sec'y of Health & . A e o o o issio i this ase o e i g a eed fo o l o asio al o ta t ith o o ke s as u ed a d e de ed ha less the su se ue t e ha ge et ee the ALJ a d the VE: ALJ: “o if e add o asio al e phasis added o ta t ith those o ke s as ea lie …, e [i.e., Plai tiff] ould still do those jo s that ou’ e ide tified? VE: Yes. AR at . Plai tiff’s suggests that she ay suffe f o e e oot o p essio ut does ot poi t to spe ifi suppo ti g e ide e: The i a ilit to a ulate effe ti el o side atio o l applies to Listi g . C fo lu a ste osis esulti g i pseudo laudi atio . It is, ho e e , ot a o side atio fo suppo ti g that a lai a t does ot eet the ite ia of Listi g . A fo e ide e of e e oot o p essio hi h is the o e to the Plai tiff’s lai . Do ket # at . The Cou t ag ees ith the Co issio e that, due to la k of spe ifi allegatio s, Plai tiff has ai ed fu the o side atio of he Listi g . a gu e t. Do ket # at . ORDER Be ause Plai tiff’s a gu e ts a e ot pe suasi e a d the Ad i ist ati e La Judge’s 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. October 30, 2019
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