Henderson v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 5:2016cv00043 - Document 21 (W.D. Ky. 2016)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 11/15/2016; a separate judgment shall enter consistent with memorandum opinion & order.cc:counsel (KJA)
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Henderson v. Commissioner of Social Security Doc. 21 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY PADUCAH DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : CV LLK ANTHONY HENDERSON . CAROLYN COLVIN, Co issio e of So ial Se u ity MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT 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 disa ilit e efits. The fa t a d la su issio e de i g his lai fo “o ial “e u it a ies of Plai tiff a d Defe da t a e at Do kets a d . The pa ties ha e o se ted to the ju isdi tio of the u de sig ed Magist ate Judge to dete i e this ase, ith a appeal l i g efo e the “i th Ci uit Cou t of Appeals. Do ket . Be ause the ad i ist ati e la judge’s ALJ’s de isio does ot o po t ith appli a le legal sta da ds, the Cou t ill REMAND this atte to the Co issio e fo a e de isio . “pe ifi all , the ALJ should e aluate / e e aluate the p io ad i ist ati e fi di g that Plai tiff’s a iet diso de e ui es that he ha e o o e tha o asio al o ta t ith the pu li a d should o side the e a i i g eu ologist’s opi io that Plai tiff e pe ie es episodes of alte ed o s ious ess that ould e e pe ted to esult i outi e a se es f o o k fou o o e da s pe o th. Du I Du o d . Co issio e , o d . Co F. d issio e , th Ci . , the “i th Ci uit esta lished that the p i iples of es judi ata a e applied agai st the Co A o di gl , [ ]he the Co e title e t to e efits, the Co issio e has issio e . ade a fi al de isio o e i g a lai a t's issio e is ou d this dete i atio a se t ha ged Dockets.Justia.com i u sta es. Id. D u to D u o d applied es judi ata to a p io ad i ist ati e fi di g ith espe t o d’s esidual fu tio al apa it RFC . A se t e ide e of a i p o e e t i a lai a t's o ditio , a su se ue t ALJ is ou d the [RFC] fi di gs of a p e ious ALJ. Id. I light of D u o d, the “o ial “e u it Ad i ist atio issued a A uies e e Ruli g, hi h di e ts that, fo ases a isi g ithi the “i th Ci uit, adjudi ato s ust follo D u o d a d adopt the p io RFC u less the e is e a d ate ial e ide e elati g to su h a fi di g o the e has ee a ha ge i the la , egulatio s, o uli gs affe ti g the fi di g o the ethod fo a i i g at the fi di g. “o ial “e u it A uies e e Ruli g , WL The ALJ’s o side atio of the p io RFC did ot o po t ith D u Plai tiff suffe s f o a seizu e diso de of u k o p. . o d etiolog . Ad i ist ati e Re o d AR , . He feels high a iet efo e a seizu e, e o es e stiff a d igid ith o ulsi e je ki g o e e ts AR, p. a d ja s lo ki g up AR, p. eithe loss of o alte ed o s ious ess AR, pp. a d o lo i a d e pe ie es . Plai tiff o te ds that the ALJ e ed i faili g to adopt the p io ALJ's RFC fi di g. The p io de isio fou d that Plai tiff suffe s f o a seizu e diso de , a a iet diso de , a d al ohol depe de e i epo ted e issio . AR, p. . The seizu e diso de as fou d to li it Plai tiff to ediu o k e ept he should e e li ladde s, opes, o s affolds; a o l o asio all ou h; should a oid haza ds i ludi g heights. AR, p. o i g e ha i al pa ts a d u p ote ted . The a iet diso de e ui ed that Plai tiff ha e o o e tha o asio al o ta t ith the pu li . Id. Plai tiff as fou d to e ot disa led e ause he etai s the a ilit to etu to his past ele a t o k as a g ill ook a d silk t ee/pla t asse le . AR, p. . The u e t ALJ a k o ledged the p io fi di g of a o atio all sig ifi a t a iet diso de ut fou d Plai tiff suffe s o l f o a seizu e diso de a d esiduals of he ia su ge . ALJ’s de isio at AR, p. . The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff is li ited to light o k a d a ha e o o k at u p ote ted heights, a ou d da ge ous ate . AR, p. . Although Plai tiff a ot disa led e ause he a pe fo o i g ot pe fo a hi e , ope fla es, o odies of his past ele a t o k, he as fou d to e a sig ifi a t u e of jo s i the atio al e o o . AR, p. . I o e tio ith Plai tiff’s se o d lai fo e efits, ps hologist Ja e B ake, Ph.D., opi ed that the e as o li i al asis fo fi di g edi al i p o e e t of Plai tiff’s a iet diso de f o the ti e of the p io de isio : The fi di g of the [Plai tiff’s] MRFC e tal esidual fu tio al apa it i the [p io ] ALJ de isio … is adopted i the a se e of e a d ate ial e ide e to i di ate othe ise. Capa ities … a e those spe ified i the [p io ] ALJ de isio . The ALJ fou d that [Plai tiff] has the apa it fo task o pletio i setti gs that li it o ta t ith the ge e al pu li . AR, p. . Ch isti B ue i g, Ph.D., o u ed ith the a o e opi io of D . B ake. AR, p. . The ALJ eje ted the opi io s of D s. B ake a d B ue i g that Plai tiff’s a iet diso de e ui es o l o asio al o ta t o t adi ted AR, p. ith the pu li e ause those opi io s a e allegedl the fa t that: . Plai tiff’s Fou Ri e s Beha io al Health t eat e t otes i di ate that he as polite, s ili g, a d pleasa t. ALJ’s de isio at AR, p. efe i g to otes at AR, pp. a d . . The e is a la k of pa i atta ks depi ted i the e o d. . Plai tiff spe ds ti e ith his gi lf ie d, goes to Bi le stud , a d spe ds ti e ith a f ie d. The ALJ’s de isio ited the jo s of ha d pa kage a d sto k o ke as ep ese tati e e a ples. AR, p. . The o atio al e pe t VE testified that the ha d pa kage jo is listed i the Di tio a of O upatio al Titles DOT at se tio . – , WL , a d the sto k o ke jo is at se tio . , WL . AR, p. . Neithe the VE’s testi o o the DOT des iptio s i di ate that these jo s a e t pi all pe fo ed ith o o e tha o asio al o ta t ith the pu li . The efo e, a e o eous failu e to fi d a eed fo o o e tha o asio al o ta t ith the pu li due to a a iet diso de as ot ha less. These easo s ited the ALJ fall sho t of satisf i g the ALJ’s u de of sho i g the p ese e of a edi al i p o e e t o ha ged i u sta es a a ti g eje tio of the p io ad i ist ati e fi di g of a o atio all sig ifi a t a iet diso de . The ALJ e ed i ot e aluati g the eu ologist’s disa li g edi al opi io As e ui ed y C.F.R. . . I August , eu ologist Joh G u s, M.D., e aluated Plai tiff’s seizu e diso de . AR, p. . I “epte e , D . G u s o pleted a ph si al apa ities fo , fi di g, a o g othe thi gs, that Plai tiff’s seizu e diso de ould e edi all e pe ted to esult i outi e a se es f o o k fou o o e da s pe o th due to episodes of alte ed o s ious ess. AR, p. . This is sig ifi a t e ause the VE testified that a se es of t o o o e da s pe o th o a o goi g asis a e i tole a le to ost e plo e s. AR, p. While the ALJ eje ted D . G u . s’ fi di gs ith espe t to Plai tiff’s a ilities to sit, sta d, a d alk due to la k of suppo ti g o je ti e edi al e ide e AR, p. e aluate D . G u , the de isio did ot s’ fi di g that episodes of alte ed o s ious ess ould e e pe ted to esult i e essi e a se teeis . This did ot o po t ith C.F.R. . , hi h states that Plai tiff pe suasi el a gues as follo s: [The] ALJ, u de sta da l , i te p ets [ Bi le stud ] as the o o defi itio of a fo al Bi le stud , as pa t of a hu h fu tio . The plai tiff's defi itio of Bi le stud is e el eadi g his Bi le, fi st thi g i the o i g. The plai tiff's othe 's thi d pa t fu tio epo t gi es a slightl lea e des iptio . “he lists eadi g f o a Bi le a d p a e ook as a pa t of a sho t list of his dail a ti ities E hi it B E . Plai tiff’s fa t a d la su a , Do ket , p. . To gi e eight to i o otes su h as these [i hi h Plai tiff as o se ed s ili g] is highl isleadi g, espe iall he the a e ulled f o o e all egati e edi al epo ts that state the eed fo o ti ued t eat e t E hi it B F . TR . If the plai tiff had ot ee oope ati e du i g t eat e t, ould that ot e e ide e of o o plia e ith p es i ed t eat e t, espe iall du i g e tal health t eat e t, a d dul oted. p. . It should go ithout sa i g that ha i g t o i te pe so al elatio ships [ ith a gi lf ie d a d a f ie d], he e i te a tio takes pla e i p i ate eside e, is diffe e t f o o ta t ith the pu li . Ha i g a f ie d, a gi lf ie d, a d oope ati g ith e tal health t eat e t is ot e ough e ide e to suppla t the edi al opi io of t o state age ph si ia s. p. . [ ]ega dless of its sou e, e [the “o ial “e u it Ad i ist atio ] ill e aluate e e edi al opi io e e ei e. Plai tiff’s seizu e diso de does ot satisfy the Listi g. Plai tiff is e titled to a o lusi e p esu ptio of disa ilit if he sho s that he suffe s f o a seizu e diso de satisf i g the li i al ite ia of a i pai e t listed i Appe di of the egulatio s. Disa ilit is fou d u de Listi g . he the e is e ide e of: Majo oto seizu es g a d al o ps ho oto , do u e ted EEG a d detailed des iptio of a t pi al seizu e patte , i ludi g all asso iated phe o e a; o u i g o e f e ue tl tha o e a o th, i spite of at least o ths of p es i ed t eat e t. With A. Da ti e episodes loss of o s ious ess a d o ulsi e seizu es o B. No tu al episodes a ifesti g esiduals hi h i te fe e sig ifi a tl ith a ti it du i g the da . Disa ilit is fou d u de Listi g . he the e is e ide e of: Mi o oto seizu es petit al, ps ho oto , o fo al, do u e ted EEG a d detailed des iptio of a t pi al seizu e patte , i ludi g all asso iated phe o e a; o u i g o e f e ue tl tha o e eekl i spite of at least o ths of p es i ed t eat e t. With alte atio of a a e ess o loss of o s ious ess a d t a sie t posti tal a ifestatio s of u o e tio al eha io o sig ifi a t i te fe e e ith a ti it du i g the da . The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff’s seizu e diso de does ot satisf Listi g . e ause he does ot ha e seizu es o u i g at least o e a o th i spite of th ee o ths t eat e t. ALJ’s de isio at AR, p. . Listi g . is u satisfied e ause he does ot ha e seizu es o u i g o e f e ue tl tha o e eekl i spite of at least th ee o ths of p es i ed t eat e t. Id. Additio all , oth Listi gs e ui e that the seizu e diso de e do u e ted EEG Ad ittedl , the ALJ dis ou ted Plai tiff’s testi o of t o seizu es pe o th ith esidual effe ts fo t o to th ee da s e ause, he Plai tiff o pleted the epileps uestio ai e, he i di ated that he had seizu es e e t o to th ee o ths. ALJ’s de isio at AR, p. efe i g to uestio ai e at AR, p. . Episodes of alte ed o s ious ess a e ot the sa e thi g as seizu es. [ele t oe ephalog a ], a d the ALJ fou d that oth EEGs i the e o d e e o efe i g to EEGs at AR, pp. a d al. AR, p. . “u sta tial e ide e suppo ted the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff’s seizu e diso de does ot satisf the Listi g. O de Be ause the Co issio e ’s fi al de isio does ot o po t sta da ds, this atte ill e REMANDED to the Co ith appli a le legal 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 issio e . November 15, 2016 While the Cou t de li es to i pose spe ifi e a d e ui e e ts, the Co issio e a o side the possi ilit of e aluatio / e e aluatio of the p io ad i ist ati e fi di g that Plai tiff’s a iet diso de e ui es that he ha e o o e tha o asio al o ta t ith the pu li a d the e a i i g eu ologist’s opi io that Plai tiff e pe ie es episodes of alte ed o s ious ess that ould e e pe ted to esult i outi e a se es f o o k fou o o e da s pe o th.
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