Rannells v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2019cv00056 - Document 25 (W.D. Ky. 2020)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 5/6/2020. 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 (MNM)
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Rannells v. Commissioner of Social Security Case 1:19-cv-00056-LLK RONALD M. RANNELLS Doc. 25 Document 25 Filed 05/07/20 Page 1 of 6 PageID #: 1133 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : 9 CV LLK PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT . 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 his lai fo “o ial “e u it disa ilit a ies of Plai tiff a d Defe da t a e at Do kets Nu e DN . The pa ties ha e o se ted to the ju isdi tio of the u de sig ed Magist ate Judge to dete ase, ith a appeal l i g efo e the “i th Ci uit Cou t of Appeals. [DN a d i e this ]. Plai tiff a gues that the Ad i ist ati e La Judge s ALJ s fi di gs at the se o d a d thi d steps of the se ue tial e aluatio p o ess a e ot suppo ted su sta tial e ide e. Be ause the a gu e ts a e pe suasi e, the Cou t ill ‘EMAND this atte to the Co issio e fo a e de isio . The ALJ erred i ot recog izi g that Plai tiff suffers fro a se ere cardiac i pair e t. Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i ot e og izi g that he suffe s f o a se e e left u dle a h lo k i his hea t. [DN at efe e i g Ad i ist ati e ‘e o d A‘ at ]. At the ad i ist ati e hea i g, Plai tiff e phasized the i po ta e i his opi io of his a dia i pai e t to his disa ilit lai . I his itte de isio , the ALJ e tio ed Plai tiff s a dia i pai e t o l o e i a o luso , passi g a e : The e is e ide e of t eat e t fo a dia i pai e t, ho e e , [Plai tiff] has ot e ui ed a i te e tio al o e e ge t a e du i g the alleged pe iod of disa ilit . [A‘ at efe e i g A‘ at , , , ]. The ALJ as e ui ed, at step t o of the se ue tial e aluatio p o ess, to ide tif Plai tiff s se e e, o o atio all sig ifi a t, i pai e ts. See C.F.‘. § . a ii . “tep is a de i i is Dockets.Justia.com Case 1:19-cv-00056-LLK Document 25 Filed 05/07/20 Page 2 of 6 PageID #: 1134 hu dle, i te ded o l to s ee out totall g ou dless lai s. Nejat v. Co , – th Ci . 'r of So . Se ., i te al itatio s o itted . Thus, if Plai tiff s a dia i pai F. App' e t had o e tha a i i al effe t o his a ilit to do asi o k a ti ities, the ALJ as e ui ed to t eat it as se e e a d o side at su se ue t steps of the e aluatio p o ess its i pa t o Plai tiff s a ilit to o k. Id. The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff etai s the a ilit to pe fo light o k. [A‘ at .] Light o k e ui es sig ifi a t e e tio al a ilities, i ludi g sta di g/ alki g hou s pe hou o kda sitti g du i g the e ai i g hou s , lifti g up to o je ts eighi g up to pou ds at a ti e, a d f e ue t lifti g/ a pou ds. “o ial “e u it ‘uli g ““‘ , WL ith i g of , at * . Be ause Plai tiff s left u dle a h lo k i his hea t ould e e pe ted to ha e o e tha a i i al effe t o his a ilit to do asi o k a ti ities a d pa ti ula l the e e tio al de a ds of light o k, the ALJ e ed i ot e og izi g that Plai tiff suffe s f o a se e e a dia i pai e o as ot ha e t. Fo the easo s elo , that less. The ALJ s e o of ot la elli g Plai tiff s a dia i pai se ue tial e aluatio p o ess did ot o stitute e e si le e o if the ALJ s de isio efle ted o side atio at su se ue t steps of the o Plai tiff s a ilit to o k. Ja iso v. Co e t as se e e at “tep of the i ed effe ts of all se e e a d o se e e i pai ’r, No. : CV uoti g Maziarz v. Se 'y of Health & Hu a Servs., , WL F. d ot, ho e e , fai l o side the i pa t of Plai tiff s a dia i pai as oted a o e , the ALJ dis issed the i pai e ts o , at * “.D. Ohio Jul , th Ci . , . The ALJ did e t o his a ilit to o k. ‘athe e t as o atio all i sig ifi a t e ause it e ui ed o i te e tio al o e e ge t a e. [A‘ at ]. I te e tio al a diolog is the su spe ialt of a diolog that deals spe ifi all ith the athete ased t eat e t of hea t diseases. A e i a Medi al Asso iatio e site, https:// .a a ass .o g/spe ialt /i te e tio al a diolog . “ted a s Medi al Di tio a defi es e e ge t as a isi g sudde l a d u e pe tedl , alli g fo ui k judg e t a d p o pt a tio . I fa t, Plai tiff did e ui e i te e tio al a e e ause he u de e t a a dia Case 1:19-cv-00056-LLK Document 25 Filed 05/07/20 Page 3 of 6 PageID #: 1135 athete izatio i Jul . [A‘ at ]. I a e e t, a a dia i pai e t eed ot ha e p og essed to the le el of e ui i g athete izatio o othe p o pt a tio to e o side ed o atio all sig ifi a t. I this ase, as i Ja iso , the ha less e o ule of Maziarz is disti guisha le … e ause it is ot lea that the ALJ o side ed plai tiff's a dia i pai p o ess. Ja iso v. Co ’r, No. : , The ALJ erred i faili g to discuss hether Plai tiff’s dege erati e disk disease satisfies Listi g . A . efe e i g Maziarz v. Se 'y, F. d CV e t at the othe steps of the se ue tial e aluatio , , WL th Ci . , at * “.D. Ohio Jul . Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i faili g to dis uss hethe his dege e ati e disk disease satisfies Listi g . A at “tep of the se ue tial e aluatio p o ess. [DN ot dis uss hethe a y of Plai tiff s i pai at ]. I fa t, the ALJ did e ts satisfies a edi al i pai e t listed i Appe di of the egulatio s. The e ti et of the ALJ s “tep a al sis la ks spe ifi it : The Disa ilit Dete i atio “e i e dete i ed that he lai a t s i pai e ts do ot eet the ite ia of a of the listed i pai e ts. No t eati g o e a i i g ph si ia has e tio ed fi di gs e ui ale t i se e it to the ite ia of a listed i pai e t. The u de sig ed has e ie ed the e o ds a d fi ds that the lai a t does ot ha e i pai e ts that eet o e ual the e ui e e ts of a se tio of Appe di . [A‘ at ]. The ALJ ust dis uss hethe Plai tiff satisfies a pa ti ula Listi g he e the e o d aises a su sta tial uestio as to hethe [he] ould ualif as disa led u de a listi g. S ith Joh so v. Co 'r, F. App' , th Ci . uoti g A ott v. Sulliva , . Plai tiff sho s that the e o d aises su h a uestio F. d , th Ci . poi t[i g] to spe ifi e ide e that de o st ates he easo a l ould eet o e ual e e e ui e e t of the listi g. Id. A se t su h e ide e, the ALJ does ot o it e e si le e o faili g to e aluate a listi g at “tep Th ee. Id. at . Listi g . A p o ides that the follo i g diso de of the spi e is pe se disa li g: Case 1:19-cv-00056-LLK Document 25 Filed 05/07/20 Page 4 of 6 PageID #: 1136 . . 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 . Listi g . A . Plai tiff poi ts to spe ifi e ide e i the ad i ist ati e e o d that his dege e ati e dis disease ould satisf the a o e e ui e e ts of Listi g . [DN A : M‘I e ide e sho s the Plai tiff has e ide e of e e oot o p essio ith suppo ti e li i al fi di gs. A Ma , lu a M‘I sho ed ild to ode ate ight pa a e t al p ot usio a utti g the ight “ e e oot. [T . ]. He as diag osed ith ight leg adi ulopath . [T . ]. Ph si al e a i atio fi di gs sho ed positi e lu a adi ula s pto s. [T . ]. ‘a ge of otio as de eased i lu a fle io , e te sio , a d hip fle io . [T . , , , ]. Weak ess as de o st ated i the left leg. [T . ]. “e satio e a i atio sho ed u ess, de eased tou h se satio , a d a o al se satio i the ilate al thighs. [T . , , ]. Positi e st aight leg aisi g test as also de o st ated. [T . , , , ]. at ]. While the ALJ e og ized fo pu poses of dete lu i i g Plai tiff s ‘FC fo light o k that a Ma a M‘I e ealed dege e ati e ha ges at L “ , i ludi g dis spa e a o i g a d a oad ased p ot usio a d ild ilate al fo a i al ste osis [A‘ at efe e i g A‘ at ], the ALJ did ot e og ize that the sa e M‘I sho ed that the p ot usio a uts the ight “ e e oot. [A‘ at E ide e of e e oot o p essio is the defi i g featu e of Listi g . ]. A . The efo e, the ALJ e ed i faili g to dis uss hethe Plai tiff s dege e ati e disk disease satisfies Listi g . A . The ALJ did ot err i faili g to recog ize that Plai tiff suffers fro se ere PTSD. Plai tiff s e ai i g a gu e t is that the ALJ e ed i faili g to e og ize that he suffe s f o se e e post t au ati st ess diso de PT“D is u pe suasi e. [DN a gu e t is u pe suasi e. at ]. Fo the easo s elo , the Case 1:19-cv-00056-LLK Document 25 Filed 05/07/20 Page 5 of 6 PageID #: 1137 Plai tiff e pe ie es ps hologi al s a d ephe i oto ehi le a ide t i pai . [A‘ at ]. These s pto s due to sepa atio f o ife, death of siste i la , p i a a egi e to hild e aisi g ephe pto s, ho e e , a e dispe sed a o g a ide a ge of li i al atego ies, i ludi g dep essio , a iet , a d PT“D. [A‘ at dete i a le i pai ]. The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff s e t of dep essi e diso de does ot ause [Plai tiff s] a ilit to pe fo o e tha a d u a o pa ied F. d ]. of the ad i ist ati e e o d i suppo t of a edi al diag osis of PT“D, the Cou t fi ds o su h diag osis o those pages. [DN The Cou t de li es to sea h , edi all i i al li itatio i asi e tal o k a ti ities a d is the efo e o se e e. [A‘ at While Plai tiff ites pages M Pherso v. Kelsey, , h o i at iti g A‘ at , ]. pages of the ad i ist ati e i sea h of a PT“D diag osis. See , th Ci . [I]ssues ad e ted to i a pe fu to a e , so e effo t at de eloped a gu e tatio , a e dee ed ai ed. It is ot suffi ie t fo a pa t to e tio a possi le a gu e t i the ost skeletal a , lea i g the ou t to ... put flesh o its o es. . The ALJ did ot e i faili g to e og ize that Plai tiff suffe s f o se e e PT“D fo t o easo s. Fi st, e ause Plai tiff has ot sho ot sho that a a epta le edi al sou e diag osed hi ith PT“D, he has that he suffe s f o edi all dete i a le PT“D. See C.F.‘. § . a ii At the se o d step [of the se ue tial e aluatio p o ess], … [i]f ou do ot ha e a se e e edi all dete … i pai i a le e t …, e ill fi d that ou a e ot disa led. . “e o d, the ALJ fou d that Plai tiff is o l ildl e tall li ited i these fou a eas: u de sta di g, e e e i g, o appl i g i fo atio ; i te a ti g ith othe s; o e t ati g, pe sisti g, o ai tai i g pa e; adapti g o a agi g o eself. [A‘ at ]. The ALJ o e tl i di ated that, [i]f e ate the deg ees of ou li itatio as o e o these fou a eas] e ill ge e all o lude that ou [ e tal] i pai C.F.‘. § . ad . ild [i e t s is ot se e e. Id. uoti g Case 1:19-cv-00056-LLK Document 25 Filed 05/07/20 Page 6 of 6 PageID #: 1138 ORDER Be ause the ALJ s se o d a d thi d step fi di gs a e ot suppo ted atte is he e ‘EMANDED 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 May 6, 2020 su sta tial e ide e, this issio e .
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