Smith v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2019cv00082 - Document 24 (W.D. Ky. 2020)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 4/27/2020. Because the ALJ's decision is supported by substantial evidence and Plaintiff's four arguments are unpersuasive, the Commissioner's final decision is hereby AFFIRMED and Plaintiff's complaint is DISMISSED. cc: Counsel (MNM)
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Smith v. Commissioner of Social Security JEFFERY E. SMITH Doc. 24 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : CV 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 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 ]. Be ause the Ad i ist ati e La Judge’s ALJ’s de isio is suppo ted a d Plai tiff’s fou a gu e ts a e u pe suasi e, the Cou t ill AFFIRM the Co su sta tial e ide e issio e ’s fi al de isio a d DI“MI““ Plai tiff’s o plai t. Discussio Fi st, Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i fi di g his dege e ati e dis disease does ot satisf the edi al ite ia of Listi g . A of Appe di of the egulatio the edi al o atio al guideli es e ause, a o di g to the ALJ, the e ide e fails to de o st ate o p o ise of a e e oot o the spi al o d ith e ide e of A e e oot o p essio , B spi al a a h oiditis, o C lu esulti g i pseudo laudi atio . [DN at efe e i g Ad i ist ati e Re o d AR at fi di g o espo ds to su se tio s A , B , a d C of Listi g . ALJ’s fi di gs ith espe t to Listi g . Listi g . a spi al ste osis ]. The ALJ’s . Plai tiff, ho e e , halle ges o l the A . A p o ides that the follo i g diso de of the spi e is pe se disa li g: Dockets.Justia.com . . 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 a ies the u de of p o i g that the li i al ite ia of a listed i pai e t a e satisfied, a d this u de is o st ued st i tl 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 fa to . See Se ' of Health & Hu a Servi es v. Ze le , of [a listed i pai of So . Se ., U.“. , A i pai e t that a ifests o l so e e t's] ite ia, o atte ho se e el , does ot ualif . ; Ela e rel. Gola v. Co F. d , th Ci . the e ui e e ts of a listed i pai 'r It is i suffi ie t that a lai a t o es lose to eeti g e t. . Plai tiff does a gua l sho that he suffe s f o e e oot o p essio as o te plated Listi g . A . See Plai tiff’s fa t a d la su a , DN at efe e i g AR at Jul MRI sho i g dis ulgi g ith ight p ot usio app oa hi g the ight L e e oot ithi the ight late al e ess ; DN at efe e i g AR at Ap il MRI sho i g dis ulgi g ith uestio [a le] ass effe t o the ight L a d possi l left L e e oots ; DN CT s a sho i g dis ulgi g ith at efe e i g AR at Fe ua ass effe t o the ight L e e oot . Ho e e , Plai tiff ide tifies o page efe e e to the ad i ist ati e e o d sho i g the e iste e of 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 … positi e st aight leg aisi g test sitti g a d supi e . The Cou t de li es to sea h o its o i itiati e pages of the ad i ist ati e e o d i A si ple o d sea h of Plai tiff’s fa t a d la su a e eals o efe e e to a dist i utio , otio , oto o se so loss esides si pl uoti g Listi g . A . Plai tiff does state that efle loss is e ide ed sea h of li i al e ide e suppo ti g Plai tiff’s Listi g . F. d , th Ci . A a gu e t. See M Pherso v. Kelse , [I]ssues ad e ted to i a pe fu to a e , u a o pa ied 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. . “e o d, Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ’s fi di g that he e ui es a sit/sta d optio at i ute i te als taki g o e to t o i utes hile e ai i g at the o kstatio is i pe [DN at , e e e i g AR at to issi l ague. ]. Ad ittedl , this fi di g take out of the o te t of the ad i ist ati e e o d as a hole is su je t to ultiple i te p etatio s. Ho e e , the o t olli g o atio al h potheti al p ese ted at the ad i ist ati e hea i g o te plated that Plai tiff, i a hou spa a sit up to of hou s; a sta d a d/o alk up to of the hou s; ho e e , [Plai tiff] ould e ui e the a ilit at o i ute i te als to ha ge positio s a d sa taki g o o e tha to i utes ithout lea i g the o kspa e. [AR at ]. I follo up uestio i g, the o atio al e pe t VE stated that he u de stood the h potheti al to i lude a eed to alte ate the sitti g a d sta di g e e to i utes. [AR at sta di g e e to ]. Plai tiff has ot sho that his i pai e ts p e lude alte ati e sitti g i utes. The efo e, hile the ALJ’s fi di g a ha e ee i pe fe t, su sta tial e ide e suppo ted the ALJ’s ulti ate fi di g of la k of disa ilit . See Eal v. Co th Ci . 'r, F. d , Vo atio al testi o i espo se to a h potheti al that a u atel po t a s a plai tiff’s li itatio s se es as su sta tial e ide e suppo ti g the ALJ's de ial de isio . Thi d, Plai tiff a gues the ALJ’s de isio does ot gi e alid easo s fo eje ti g the opi io of o e ti e e a i i g sou e, Edga Lopez “ues u , M.D. [DN at ]. I Jul , D . Lopez “ues u de eased ight leg st e gth i . [DN at efe e i g AR at , ]. Ho e e , Plai tiff ites o autho it fo the suggestio that efle loss is the sa e thi g as st e gth loss fo pu poses of Listi g . A . Additio all , Plai tiff does state i ohe e tl that [l]eft st aight leg aisi g as positi e i the ight leg as ell. [DN at efe e i g AR at , ]. Ho e e , the e is o i di atio that a st aight leg aisi g as positi e sitti g a d supi e. e a i ed Plai tiff at the e uest of the Co his o ludi g su issio e a d issued a a ati e epo t. [AR at ]. I a , D . Lopez “ues u stated that: [Plai tiff] is a ea old a ith the fi di gs e tio ed a o e. He does ot eed a ulatio assisti e de i es. He should e a le to lift, a pou ds, a i g fo at least a ds. He is a le to take a e of his pe so al eeds i the g oss a d fi e a ipulatio poi t of ie . No al p op io eptio , o al ste eog osis, o al hea i g a d speaki g. He is a le to go f o the sitti g to sta di g positio ith a ode ate a ou t of diffi ult o a ou t of the lu a pai agg a ated his e essi e eight ea i g. The ALJ ha a te ized this su a as so e hat ague a d [as] appea [i g] to estate pa t of [Plai tiff’s] su je ti e epo t of li itatio . [AR at ]. The ALJ still ga e it so e eight to the e te t it suppo ts the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff a pe fo a li ited a ge of light o k ith a sit sta d optio . [AR at , ]. Plai tiff has failed to sho that the ALJ’s eighi g of D . Lopez “ues u ’s opi io ose to the le el of e e si le e o . Fou th, Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i faili g to a k o ledge o eigh the opi io of his t eati g eu os ie e ad a ed p a ti e egiste ed u se APRN Ki Ha es. [DN a gu e t la ks a fa tual asis a d is ithout e it. I August ph si al apa ities e aluatio fo i a a at ]. The , APRN Ha es o pleted a he k o e that, if a epted, ould p e lude all o k. [AR at ]. Fo e a ple, APRN Ha es fou d that, i a eight hou o kda , Plai tiff a sit fo less tha i utes, a sta d fo less tha i utes, a d alk fo less tha fo eight hou s of o k like a ti ities. [AR at i utes – hi h ould ot allo ]. APRN Ha es p o ided o li i al asis fo these e t e e, disa li g li itatio s. [Id.]. The ALJ ga e APRN Ha es’ opi io little eight e ause the li itatio s assessed, hi h ould ot allo pe fo a e of e e sede ta o k, a e i o siste t ith the o je ti e e a i atio fi di gs, e.g., Plai tiff displa ed o isits efo e a d afte the assess e t. [AR at al gait a d / oto st e gth at ]. Additio all , as o u ed i this ase, a ALJ a To the e te t Plai tiff’s a gu e t is that D . Lopez “ues u fou d that he a o l lift a d a up to pou ds fo a ds, Plai tiff is eadi g li itatio s i to the fi di g that a e ot the e a d that a e at odds ith D . Lopez “ue u ’s o o se atio that Plai tiff has / g ip st e gth a d oto st e gth i his uppe a d lo e e t e ities. [AR at ]. p ope l gi e little eight to a t eati g [sou e's] he k off fo of fu tio al li itatio s that did ot ite li i al test esults, o se atio s, o othe o je ti e fi di gs. Ellars v. Co Ci . 'r, F. App' , th i te al uotatio eli i ated . ORDER Be ause the ALJ’s de isio is suppo ted su sta tial e ide e a d Plai tiff’s fou a gu e ts a e u pe suasi 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. April 27, 2020
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