Kerns v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2019cv00055 - Document 19 (W.D. Ky. 2019)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 11/11/2019. The final decision of the Commissioner is hereby AFFIRMED, and Plaintiff's complaint is DISMISSED. cc: counsel (MNM)
Download PDF
<![CDATA[
Kerns v. Commissioner of Social Security TAMMY R. KERNS Doc. 19 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : 9 CV 55 LLK PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT v. ANDREW SAUL, 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 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 . Be ause the Ad i ist ati e La Judge’s ALJ’s de isio is suppo ted su sta tial e ide e a d Plai tiff’s a gu e ts a e u pe suasi 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. Discussio I O to e ph si al assess e t fo , Plai tiff’s t eati g ph si ia , Je . Ad i ist ati e Re o d AR at La so , M.D., o pleted the sta da d . A o g othe thi gs, D . La so fou d that Plai tiff a sta d up to i utes o ti uousl a d fo a total of hou s a d that Plai tiff a alk up to i utes o ti uousl a d fo a total of hou s. AR at . Additio all , D . La so fou d that Plai tiff a use he ha ds fo epetiti e a tio s su h as si ple g aspi g a d pushi g / pulli g of a o t ols ut that she a ot use he ha ds fo epetiti e a tio s su h as fi e a ipulatio e ause pai a d stiff ess e lude fi e o e e t. AR at . Dockets.Justia.com The ALJ ga e D . La so ’s fi di gs ode ate eight a d fou d, a o g othe thi gs, that Plai tiff a sta d o alk fo hou s i a hou o kda a d a pe fo o e tha o asio al fi e fi ge i g. AR at o k that does ot i ol e . The o atio al h potheti als o te plated, a o g othe thi gs, a i di idual sta d/ alk fo hou s pe hou o kda a d a f e ue tl ha dle g ossl o asio all fi ge fi el a ipulate o je ts. AR at a i di idual a pe fo a sig ifi a t u ho a a ipulate a d . The o atio al e pe t VE testified that su h e of u skilled, light jo s i the atio al e o o sales atte da t, lau d lassifie , a d lea e housekeepi g. AR at disa ilit lai ased o a epta e of the o atio al testi o . AR at su h as . The ALJ de ied Plai tiff’s . Plai tiff akes fi e a gu e ts, o e of hi h is pe suasi e. Fi st, she a gues that [ ]hile the ALJ did dete i e that [she] as li ited to o k that did ot i ol e o e tha o asio al fi ge i g, she did ot p ope l li it he i ega d to he a ilit to ha dle as that ould also ha e ee li ited due to he ilate al ul a eu opath a d ilate al a pal tu disease. Do ket # el s d o e as ell as he e i al dege e ati e dis at . The a gu e t is u pe suasi e fo t o easo s. Fi st, Plai tiff’s asse tio that she is sig ifi a tl li ited i he a ilit to ha dle o je ts is at odds ith D . La so ’s fi di g oted a o e that she a use he ha ds fo epetiti e a tio s su h as si ple g aspi g a d pushi g / pulli g of a o t ols. AR at . “e o d, D . La so ’s fi di gs a e o siste t ith the ALJ’s fi di gs a d ith the li itatio s o te plated the o atio al h potheti als. This is e ause a i di idual ho a sta d i i ute st et hes fo hou s total, du i g a hou o kda a d a alk i i ute st et hes fo hou s total, du i g a hou o kda a sta d/ alk at ill fo hou s total, du i g a hou o kda . A i di idual ho a ot e gage i fi e a ipulatio / o e e t / fi ge i g o a epetiti e asis a e gage i that a tio o a o asio al asis. Co siste t ith the VE’s testi o , u skilled, light jo s ge e all e ui e g oss use of the a s a d ha ds to g asp, hold, a d tu o je ts ut do ot e ui e fi e use of the fi ge s, hi h is asso iated ith sede ta o k. ““R , WL , at * ; ““R , WL , at * . “e o d, Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i faili g to fi d that [he ] fi o i pai e t. Do ket # algia as a se e e at . The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff suffe s f o se e e, o o atio all sig ifi a t, o esit , e i al dege e ati e dis disease, ilate al ul a eu opath , ilate al a pal tu s d o e, a d asth a, ut fou d that he fi o dete i es that o e o o e i pai est i tio s i posed all i pai F. App’ o st, ha , th Ci . algia is o se e e. AR at el . Whe as he e a ALJ e ts is se e e, the ALJ is e ui ed to o side the li itatio s a d e ts – oth se e e a d o se e e. Kestel v. Co . The efo e, a failu e to la el a gi e i pai ’r of Soc. Sec., e t as o se e e is, at less e o a d is legall i ele a t u less the e is e ide e that the ALJ, i fa t, failed to o side the li itatio s i posed all i pai e ts. Id. at . Plai tiff has eithe alleged o sho su h a failu e. Thi d, Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i e aluati g he li itatio s due to pai a d othe su je ti e s pto s. Do ket # allegatio s due to su je ti e s at . I e aluati g the i te sit a d pe siste e of a lai a t's pto s, a ALJ o side s the fa to s listed at C.F.R. § . i ii . While su sta tial e ide e a ha e suppo ted a diffe e t eighi g of these fa to s, the ALJ's eighi g as suppo ted Blakley v. Co 'r, su sta tial e ide e. The efo e, Plai tiff's a gu e t is u pe suasi e. See F. d , th Ci . The su sta tial e ide e sta da d ... p esupposes that the e is a zo e of hoi e ithi hi h the de isio ake s a go eithe a , ithout i te fe e e the ou ts. . Fou th, Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ failed to suffi ie tl a ti ulate the easo s fo dis editi g the opi io of D . Je La so , [he ] t eati g health a e p ofessio al. Do ket # at . As dis ussed The fa to s a e: i You dail a ti ities; ii The lo atio , du atio , f e ue , a d i te sit of ou pai o othe s pto s; iii P e ipitati g a d agg a ati g fa to s; i The t pe, dosage, effe ti e ess, a d side effe ts of a edi atio ou take o ha e take to alle iate ou pai o othe s pto s; T eat e t, othe tha edi atio , ou e ei e o ha e e ei ed fo elief of ou pai o othe s pto s; i A easu es ou use o ha e used to elie e ou pai o othe s pto s e.g., l i g flat o ou a k, sta di g fo to i utes e e hou , sleepi g o a oa d, et . ; a d ii Othe fa to s o e i g ou fu tio al li itatio s a d est i tio s due to pai o othe s pto s. a o e i o e tio ith Plai tiff’s fi st a gu e t, the ALJ ga e fi di gs AR at ode ate eight to D . La so ’s , a d those fi di gs a e ge e all o siste t ith the ALJ’s fi di gs. To the e te t Plai tiff’s a gu e t is that the ALJ e ed i dis editi g D . La so ’s pe se disa li g fi di g that she is likel to e a se t f o o k as a esult of i pai at , the e as o e o . See Jackso v. Co “ept. , epo t adopted, e ts / t eat e t o e tha fou ti es a o th AR 'r, No. : WL CV , WL , at * “.D. Ohio I ge e al, opi io s of a disa li g deg ee of a se teeis go to the ulti ate issue of disa ilit a d a e at est, spe ulati e a d p i a il ased o … su je ti e allegatio s. . Plai tiff’s fifth a d fi al a gu e t is that the o atio al testi o as ot suffi ie t to esta lish jo s i the e o o that [she] ould pe fo e ause the ALJ’s o atio al h potheti als e e u lea ega di g the e te t of the i di iduals’ a ilities to ha dle a d fi ge . Do ket # at iti g AR at . Plai tiff la ified a o fusio he , upo oss e a i atio , the VE testified that the ide tified jo s e ui e f e ue t ha dli g a d o asio al fi ge i g. AR at . Order Be ause the ALJ’s de isio is suppo ted u pe suasi e, the fi al de isio of the Co su sta tial e ide e a d Plai tiff’s a gu e ts a e issio e is he e AFFIRMED, a d Plai tiff’s o plai t is DI“MI““ED. November 11, 2019
]]>
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You
should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
