Chapman v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2019cv00048 - Document 18 (W.D. Ky. 2019)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 12/17/2019. Because substantial evidence does not support the ALJ's finding that Plaintiff can perform light work, this matter is hereby REMANDED to the Commissioner for a new decision and any further administrative proceedings deemed necessary and appropriate by the Commissioner. cc: Counsel (CDF)
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Chapman v. Commissioner of Social Security Doc. 18 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : CV 4 LLK CARISA L. CHAPMAN PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT . 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 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 Ad i ist ati e La Judge ALJ fou d that Plai tiff is ot disa led e ause she etai s the a ilit to pe fo a sig ifi a t u Re o d AR at pe fo e of light, u skilled jo s i the atio al e o o . Ad i ist ati e . Be ause su sta tial e ide e does ot suppo t the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff a light o k, the Cou t ill REMAND this atte to the Co issio e fo a e de isio . Ba kgrou d fa t a d pro edural history O De e e , O De e e , Plai tiff filed a lai fo “o ial “e u it disa ilit e efits. AR at , . , Plai tiff’s t eati g APRN FNP BC ad a ed p a ti e egiste ed u se, fa il u se p a titio e , oa d e tified , Mi hael L. Pe dleto , “ ., ote a to ho it a o e lette ega di g Plai tiff’s disa ilit lai . APRN Pe dleto ’s opi ed that Plai tiff’s eu ologi al o ditio s e de he ot a le to safel pe fo ask f o he . AR at O Ma , the ost e edial o outi e of tasks a e plo e ight . , eu oph siolog la di e to A i )ia, M.D., pe fo EMG studies of the us les of Plai tiff’s uppe a d lo e e t e ities. AR at ed ele t o og aphi . The EMG studies Dockets.Justia.com e ealed the p ese e of: ilate al a pal tu el s d o e a d se so p edo i a t eu opath i Plai tiff’s lo e e t e ities, ut o e ide e of e i al o lu O Ma , , the Co osa al adi ulopath . Id. issio e ’s o e a i i g p og a ph si ia , “udhide Mukhe jee, fou d that Plai tiff has the a ilit to pe fo a li ited a ge of ediu o k. AR at . D . Mukhe jee ased his opi io o the a aila le edi al e ide e. Ho e e , the e is o i di atio that D . Mukhe jee as a a e of D . )ia’s EMG fi di gs o tai ed o l da s ea lie . I Ju e fo , APRN Pe dleto o pleted the Ph si al Capa ities E aluatio fo a he k o , fi di g that Plai tiff has a i al li itatio i e e fu tio al a ea s o ed o the fo . AR at . Fo e a ple, APRN Pe dleto fou d that Plai tiff a sit, sta d a d/o alk hou s i a hou o kda ; she a e e lift a eight; she a fi e a ipulatio ; she a ot use he feet fo epetiti e o e e ts e.g., ope ati g foot o t ols ; a d she a e e e d, s uat, a l, li I De e e ot use he ha ds fo si ple g aspi g, pushi g, pulli g, o , o ea h a o e shoulde le el. Id. , a e i al MRI e ealed the p ese e of: esiduals f o p io a te io fusio su ge at C th ough C ; at C C , left pa a e t al dis he iatio /spu esulti g i o d o p essio a d e t al ste osis ; ultile el h pe t ophi dis oge i disease ith o po e t of e t al ste osis suspe ted at C C . AR at I De e e , a lu . a MRI e ealed: dis ulge at L L a d dis p ot usio at L “ ith fa et a th opath esulti g i o po e ts of ild e t al ste osis. AR at The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff has the a ilit to pe fo . a li ited a ge of light o k. AR at . I so fi di g, the ALJ de li ed to gi e a eight to APRN Pe dleto ’s edi al/ o atio al o lusio of Plai tiff offe s a detailed e pla atio of h it is highl u likel that D . Mukhe jee as a a e of the EMG esults. Do ket # at . Appa e tl , APRN Pe dleto is ead o e uestio a d he ked that Plai tiff has o est i tio ega di g u p ote ted heights, ei g a ou d o i g a hi e , e posu e to a ked ha ges i te pe atu e a d hu idit , d i i g auto oti e e uip e t, a d e posu e to dust, fu es a d gases, he he ea t to he k that Plai tiff has total est i tio i these a eas. Id. Plai tiff’s i a ilit to safel pe fo e e outi e tasks a d ga e fi di gs of a i al li itatio o the ph si al assess e t fo suppo ted the e o d as a hole. AR at Mukhe jee’s fi di gs, hi h allo ed pe fo i i al eight to APRN Pe dleto ’s e ause the fi di g a e ot efe e i g AR at , ell . The ALJ ga e D . a e of ediu o k, pa tial eight ut e e theless less [tha o plete] eigh e ause e ide e e ei ed at the hea i g le el, i ludi g t eat e t e o ds a d i agi g [i.e., the e i al a d lu ph si al i pai a MRIs a d the EMG], suppo ts fi di g the lai a t has se e e e ts that a a t g eate ph si al li itatio s tha fou d D . Mukhe jee. AR at . The e ide e afte D . Mukhe jee’s opi io , hi h the ALJ ited as suppo ti g a fi di g that Plai tiff is li ited to light as opposed to ediu o k, o sists of the e i al a d lu a MRI esults a d the EMG esults oted a o e. Su sta tial e ide e does ot support the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff a perfor light ork. “u sta tial e ide e suppo ted the ALJ’s fi di g that APRN Pe dleto ’s fi di gs e e too li iti g a d that D . Mukhe jee’s fi di gs e e i suffi ie tl li iti g. Ho e e , i eje ti g the fi di gs of these edi al sou es, the ALJ effe ti el eje ted e ery edi al opi io i the ad i ist ati e e o d ega di g hat Plai tiff a do ph si all despite he i pai e ts a d i p ope l fou d, ased o his o i te p etatio of the MRI a d EMG e ide e, that Plai tiff a pe fo ALJs ust ot su u Co 'r, F. d , 'r of Soc. Sec., th Ci . 'r, F. d , F. App' , th Ci . i depe de t uoti g Roha v. . As a la pe so , ... the ALJ as si pl ot ualified to i te p et a edi al data i fu tio al te Nguye v. Co light o k. to the te ptatio to pla do to a d ake thei o edi al fi di gs. Si pso v. Co la s. Rudd v. Co st Ci . 'r, F. App' , th Ci . uoti g . This a d othe ou ts ha e held that appli atio of the ule agai st pla i g do to is pa ti ula l apt he a ALJ elies o his/he o la i te p etatio of i agi g e.g., MRI studies he fo a lai a t's esidual fu tio al apa it RFC . See e.g. Childress v. Co 'r, No. : CV ulati g HBB, WL , at * Fe . , W.D. K . The ALJ i pe issi l ade [a RFC] dete i atio ithout a edi al sou e state e t i the e o d add essi g the a edi al data f o the MRIs. ; Deski v. Co 'r, F.“upp. d , N.D. Ohio The e te si e MRI fi di gs of diffuse a d su sta tial dege e ati e dis disease th oughout Deski 's spi e p o ide o je ti e edi al e ide e that o pels the eed fo the opi io of a edi al sou e to [assist] i the t a slatio of the a edi al data he e i to fu tio al li itatio s. . Light o k ge e all e ui es a good a ilit to sta d/ alk. “pe ifi all , 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 , ith sitti g o u i g i te itte tl du i g the e ai i g ti e. “o ial “e u it Ruli g ““R , WL , at * . The ALJ la ked the edi al e pe tise to fi d that, ot ithsta di g MRI e ide e of dis ulge at L L a d dis p ot usio at L “ ith fa et a th opath esulti g i o po e ts of ild e t al ste osis AR at AR at a d EMG e ide e of se so p edo i a t eu opath i the lo e e t e ities , Plai tiff a sta d/ alk suffi ie tl to pe fo light o k. Additio all , light o k ge e all e ui es good use of the uppe e t e ities, i ludi g g oss use of the ha ds to g asp, hold, a d tu o je ts. ““R , WL , at * . As oted a o e, the e as MRI e ide e of esiduals f o p io a te io fusio su ge at C th ough C ; at C C , left pa a e t al dis he iatio /spu esulti g i o d o p essio a d e t al ste osis ; a d ultile el h pe t ophi dis oge i disease ith o po e t of e t al ste osis suspe ted at C C AR at a d the e as EMG e ide e of ilate al a pal tu el s d o e AR at , . The ALJ la ked the e pe tise to fi d that the fo egoi g fi di gs allo ed Plai tiff good use of he uppe e t e ities. The Co issio er’s argu e ts are u persuasi e. Fo the easo s detailed a o e, su sta tial e ide e does ot suppo t the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff has a RFC to pe fo light o k. I this ega d, the Co ulti atel u pe suasi e a gu e ts. Fi st, the Co issio e akes t o ell take ut issio e a gues that a ALJ’s de isio a still e suppo ted su sta tial e ide e e e if the e is o edi al sou e opi io that di e tl suppo ts the ALJ’s RFC fi di g. Do ket # at . The e is o ight li e ule that a ALJ’s RFC fi di g e ui es o does ot e ui e a suppo ti g edi al opi io . See Sadler v. Co at * E.D. Mi h. Aug. , The e is o , WL , ightli e ule that edi al opi io s ust [al a s] e the uildi g lo ks of the [ALJ's] RFC. . I a li ited u o pa ati el little ph si al i pai 'r, No. e of i sta es, he e the edi al e ide e sho s e t, a [ALJ] a e a le to ake a o o se se dete i atio a out a lai a t's [RFC] ased solel o o edi al fa to s su h as dail a ti ities. See Childress v. Co ’r, No. : CV HBB, WL , at * W.D. K . Fe . , Ho e e , i ost ases, he e the e is o e tha little i pai olle ti g autho ities . e t, [ ] iti al to the [RFC] fi di g a e edi al sou e state e ts e p essi g edi al opi io s ega di g fu tio al li itatio s aused lai a t's ph si al o e tal i pai . a , . e ts. Id. iti g C.F.R. §§ . , . As i Childress, the ALJ’s RFC fi di g ased o his/he o the MRI a d EMG e ide e does ot ualif as a p ope , o . , the . , la i te p etatio of o se se dete i atio ased solel o issio e a gues that the ALJ had dis etio [to dete i e] hethe additio al o edi al fa to s. “e o d, the Co [ edi al opi io ] e ide e [ as] e essa , a d the ALJ p ope l dete ot e essa . Do ket # i ed that su h e ide e as at . While the [ALJ] has dis etio hethe to o de a o sultati e e a i atio , o to all a edi al e pe t at the hea i g …, the [ALJ’s RFC] fi di g ust e suppo ted su sta tial e ide e i the ad i ist ati e e o d. Childress v. Co WL , at * W.D. K . Fe . , ’r, No. : e ts a d fo ulate his/he RFC fi di g ased o his/he la i te p etatio of the i agi i g studies, the ALJ’s e e ise of dis etio did ot i u ize the ALJ’s fi di g f o judi ial su sta tial e ide e e ie . HBB, . I othe o ds, hile the ALJ a ha e had dis etio to eje t e e edi al opi io ega di g hat Plai tiff a still do despite he i pai o CV ORDER Be ause su sta tial e ide e does ot suppo t the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff a pe fo o k, this atte is he e REMANDED to the Co issio e fo a e de isio a d a fu the ad i ist ati e p o eedi gs dee ed e essa a d app op iate the Co December 17, 2019 light issio e .
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