Steinhilber v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2019cv00117 - Document 19 (W.D. Ky. 2020)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 5/13/2020. The Court hereby REMANDS this matter to the Commissioner for a new decision and any further administrative proceedings deemed necessary and appropriate by the Commissioner. cc: Counsel of Record (MNM)
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Steinhilber v. Commissioner of Social Security Case 1:19-cv-00117-LLK UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : 9 CV 7 LLK JAMES J. STEINHILBER Doc. 19 Document 19 Filed 05/13/20 Page 1 of 6 PageID #: 632 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 so ial se 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 g that he a pe fo o k is ot suppo ted light su sta tial e ide e. Be ause the a gu e t is pe suasi e, the Cou t ill REMAND this atte to the Co issio e fo a e de isio . The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff ca perfor light ork. I No e e , Plai tiff as i a oto ehi le a ide t that shatte ed his legs a d k ees a d e ui ed epa ati e su ge ies. [DN at PageID # ]. I his itte de isio , the ALJ e og ized that Plai tiff suffe s f o the follo i g se e e, o o atio all sig ifi a t, i pai e ts elated to the a ide t a d su ge ies: hip a d leg pai epo t; a th itis/dege e ati e joi t disease DJD of the ilate al k ees ith pai ; histo of ilate al distal fe o al f a tu es of the k ees, s/p [status post] ilate al ORIF [ope edu tio i te al fi atio ]. Id. at . Not ithsta di g these se e e i pai e t e ities, the ALJ fou d that Plai tiff a pe fo e ts esidual effe ts affe ti g Plai tiff’s lo e light o k. Id. at othe thi gs, sta di g/ alki g hou s pe hou o kda . Light o k e ui es, a o g ith sitti g du i g the e ai i g hou s . Dockets.Justia.com Case 1:19-cv-00117-LLK Document 19 Filed 05/13/20 Page 2 of 6 PageID #: 633 “o ial “e u it Ruli g ““R pe fo , WL , at * . Additio all , the ALJ fou d that Plai tiff a the follo i g a ti ities e ui i g good use of the lo e e t e ities o a o asio al asis, he e ““R defi es o asio al as o u i g up to o e thi d of the o kda : pushi g/pulli g usi g the lo e e t e ities; ope ati g foot o t ols; li I Jul i g stai s/ a ps. [DN at ]. , Wif edo A. Fe a dez, M.D., e a i ed Plai tiff at the e uest of the Co E hi it B F . [DN at issio e ]. Based o l o g oss ph si al e a i atio ith o i agi g studies , D . Fe a dez ga e a a ati e epo t that ega stati g o e tl that Plai tiff M . “tei hil e is a ea old, ge tle a i ol ed i a a a ide t Du ha is a / / a d that e ded stati g i o e tl that M . ea old, ge tle a i ol ed i a a a ide t i . [DN at , ]. I the last pa ag aph of his epo t, D . Fe a dez offe ed a edi al sou e state e t that ide tified o o ete ph si al li itatio of a t pe : MEDICAL “OURCE “TATEMENT: Based o the edi al fi di gs it ould appea that M . “tei hil e has the a ilit to pe fo a ti ities i ol i g sitti g, sta di g, o i g a out, lifti g, a i g a d ha dli g o je ts, hea i g, seei g, speaki g a d t a eli g. His ph si al e a i atio as ithi o al li its. O thopedi e a i atio as ithout li itatio . At this ti e, I see o sig ifi a t li its to his a ti ities. He a lift, push, pull, he a e d, stoop, s uat, he a k eel, a l a d ou h ithout diffi ult . He a li ladde s a d s affolds, he a alk up a d do steps. He de ies a s pto s of hest pai . He has o al gait a d statio ithout e ide e of g oss oto d sfu tio , se so loss o efle a o alit . He does ot use a p es i ed edi al assisti e de i e fo a ulatio . He has the a ilit to hea a d u de sta d o al o e satio al spee h. He has o al g oss a ipulatio a d g ip st e gth. Re o e d pul o a fu tio test if ot al ead pe fo ed. [DN at ]. I Ma h , ased i pa t o D . Fe a dez’s fi di gs, the Co p og a ph si ia Ale Gue e o, M.D., opi ed that Plai tiff a pe fo E hi it B A . [DN at I No e e issio e ’s o e a i i g a li ited a ge of light o k ]. , Plai tiff’s t eati g o thopedist Gale Weiss, M.D., ga e a Ph si al Medi al “ou e “tate e t, hi h, if a epted, ould p e lude light o k E hi it B F . [DN at ]. A o g othe thi gs, D . Weiss opi ed that, due to patellofe o al dege e ati e joi t disease PF DJD a d Case 1:19-cv-00117-LLK Document 19 Filed 05/13/20 Page 3 of 6 PageID #: 634 fe u defo ities, Plai tiff a sta d/ alk fo less tha hou s total i a hou o ki g da . Id. I o t ast to the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff a o asio all li li stai s. [DN at The ALJ su , DN at stai s, D . Weiss opi ed Plai tiff a a el ]. a il edited the opi io s D s. Fe a dez a d Gue e o a d dis edited the opi io of D . Weiss: As fo the opi io e ide e, the u de sig ed assig s g eat eight to the assess e t a d esidual fu tio al apa it of the “tate Age ’s ps hologi al a d ph si al o sulta ts at E hi it B A [D . Gue e o’s opi io ]. … G eat eight is also gi e the o sultati e e a i atio assess e ts fou d at E hi its B F a d B F [D . Fe a dez’s opi io ]. Both assess e ts a e ased o di e t e a i atio a d o je ti e fi di gs. Additio all , the assess e t[s] a e ell easo ed a d suppo ted the totalit of the edi al e o ds. Little eight is gi e the edi al sou e state e t of Gale Weiss, M.D., at E hi it B F e ause the li itatio s assessed a e ot suppo ted the totalit of the edi al e o d a d o je ti e fi di gs. Fu the o e, it appea s that D . Weiss o l e a i ed the lai a t o e. [DN at ]. The rules for eighi g edical opi io s Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i gi i g little eight to the opi io of his t eati g o thopedist, D . Weiss. [DN at ]. I ge e al, a opi io f o a edi al sou e ho has e a i ed a lai a t is gi e o e eight tha that f o a sou e ho has ot pe fo ed a e a i atio , ut less eight tha a t eati g sou e. Gayheart . Comm’r of Soc. Sec., , F. d th Ci . A t eati g sou e is defi ed as Plai tiff’s o p o ided, hi . a epta le edi al sou e ho p o ides, o has edi al t eat e t o e aluatio as pa t of a u e t o p e iousl o goi g t eat e t elatio ship. Ste art . Comm'r, No. C.F.R. § . a , WL , at * th Ci . Ma , edi all a epta le li i al a d la o ato diag osti te h i ues a d is ot i o siste t ith the othe su sta tial e ide e i [the] ase e o d. Id. iti g . Othe . ALJs ust gi e a t eati g sou e’s edi al opi io o t olli g eight if the opi io is ell suppo ted . iti g C.F.R. § ise, the ALJ should e aluate the t eati g sou e’s opi io i a o da e ith a Case 1:19-cv-00117-LLK Document 19 Filed 05/13/20 Page 4 of 6 PageID #: 635 set of egulato fa to s. Id. Those fa to s i lude the le gth of the t eat e t elatio ship a d the f e ue of e a i atio , the atu e a d e te t of the t eat e t elatio ship, suppo ta ilit of the opi io , o siste of the opi io ith the e o d as a hole, a d a spe ializatio of the t eati g ph si ia . Id. iti g C.F.R. § . th ough . ALJs ust al a s gi e good easo s i ou oti e of dete gi e [a] t eati g sou e's opi io . Cole . Comm’r, . F. d . Those good easo s ust e suppo ted , i atio o de isio fo the eight e th Ci . uoti g C.F.R. § the e ide e i the ase e o d, a d ust e suffi ie tl spe ifi to ake lea to a su se ue t e ie e s the eight the adjudi ato ga e to the t eati g sou e's edi al opi io a d the easo s fo that eight. Id. uoti g “o . “e . Rul. No. WL , at * . This e ui e e t is ot si pl a fo p, alit ut athe e ists to safegua d Plai tiff’s p o edu al ights. Id. It is i te ded to let lai a ts u de sta d the dispositio of thei ases, pa ti ula l i situatio s he e a lai a t k o s that his ph si ia has dee ed hi disa led a d the efo e ight e espe iall e ilde ed he told a ad i ist ati e u eau a that [he] is ot. Id. at . Additio all , the e ui e e t of gi i g good easo s is i te ded to safegua d a e ie i g ou t's ti e, as it pe Id. at its ea i gful a d effi ie t e ie of the ALJ's appli atio of the [t eati g ph si ia ] ule. . The ALJ erred i gi i g little eight to Dr. Weiss’s opi io . Fo the fou easo s ide tified elo , the ALJ e ed i gi i g little eight to D . Weiss’s opi io . Fi st, the ALJ failed to e og ize that D . Weiss as Plai tiff’s t eati g ph si ia , o alte ati el , failed to a ti ulate su sta tial easo s fo o ludi g that D . Weiss as ot Plai tiff’s t eati g ph si ia . While the ALJ fou d that D . Weiss o l e a i ed the lai a t o e [DN at ], D . Weiss e a i ed Plai tiff o at least t o o asio s p io to his No e e Ju e , , a d o O to e , . [DN at Ph si al Medi al “ou e “tate e t o ]. Case 1:19-cv-00117-LLK Document 19 Filed 05/13/20 Page 5 of 6 PageID #: 636 “e o d, hile the ALJ fou d that D . Weiss’s opi io as edi al e o d a d o je ti e fi di gs [DN at No e e fe u defo ot suppo ted the totalit of the ], the opi io as ased o the esidual effe ts of a oto ehi le a ide t, i ludi g patellofe o al dege e ati e joi t disease PF DJD a d ities, as e ide ed ilate al k ee a s sho i g o oth sides the late al aspe t of the distal fe u ith ultiple t a sfi i g s e s a d distal fe o al etaph sis a d diaph sis. [DN at etalli plate alo g a ked a efe e i g DN at o alit of the ]. Thi d, i suppo t of his de isio to gi e g eate eight to the opi io of a o e ti e e a i i g sou e, D . Fe a dez, tha to the opi io of D . Weiss, ho as a gua l a t eati g sou e, the ALJ fou d that D . Fe a dez’s opi io as ased o … o je ti e fi di gs. [DN at opi io as ased o l o g oss ph si al e a i atio ith o i agi g studies . [DN at Fou th, hile the ALJ fou d that D . Fe a dez’s opi io as the totalit of the edi al e o ds [DN at despite esidual effe ts of a No e e li itatio of a t pe . [DN at ]. Yet D . Fe a dez’s ]. ell easo ed a d suppo ted ], the opi io isstated Plai tiff’s a e a d age a d, oto ehi le a ide t, ide tified o o ete ph si al ]. Additio all , D . Fe a dez fou d o li itatio of a ge of otio o te de ess, although t eat e t otes i di ated li ited a ge of otio , pai ith passi e k ee e te sio a d fle io , a d te de ess o palpatio of patellofe o al joi t. [DN at DN at Fi all , Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i ot fi di g his k ee i pai to a , ; ]. Plai tiff has ot pro e his k ee i pair e ts satisfy Listi gs . a d . , . [DN at a d . e ts satisf Listi gs . ]. The a gu e t is u pe suasi e e ause oth Listi gs e ui e a i a ilit ulate effe ti el , as defi ed i . B . I a ilit to a ulate effe ti el ea s a e t e e li itatio of the a ilit to alk. Listi g . B . I effe ti e a ulatio is defi ed ge e all as ha i g i suffi ie t lo e e t e it fu tio i g … to pe it i depe de t a ulatio ithout the use of a ha d held assisti e de i e s that li its the fu tio i g of oth uppe e t e ities. Id. Plai tiff ide tifies o Case 1:19-cv-00117-LLK Document 19 Filed 05/13/20 Page 6 of 6 PageID #: 637 e ide e of e t e e li itatio i a ilit to alk o use of a ha d held assisti e de i e – u h less use of a ha d held de i e that li its the fu tio i g of oth uppe e t e ities. Order Be ause the Ad i ist ati e La Judge’s ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff a pe fo ot suppo ted su sta tial e ide e, the Cou t he e REMAND“ this atte to the Co light o k is 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 Co issio e . May 13, 2020 the
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