Belcher v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 5:2017cv00159 - Document 22 (W.D. Ky. 2018)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION & ORDER by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 8/17/2018. A separate judgment shall enter.cc:counsel (KJA)
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Belcher v. Commissioner of Social Security Doc. 22 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY PADUCAH DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. 5: 7 CV 59 LLK JOSEPH BRAD BELCHER o ehalf of KAREN L. BELCHER, De eased PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT . NANCY A. BERRYHILL, A ti g Co issio er of So ial Se urity MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This atte is efo e the Cou t o Plai tiff's Co 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 ase is ipe fo dete 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 # a d , a d the i atio . 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 as suppo ted su sta tial e ide e a d as i a o d ith appli a le legal sta da ds, the Cou t ill AFFIRM the Co issio e ’s fi al de isio a d DI“MI““ Plai tiff’s Co plai t. Ba kgrou d fa ts a d pro edural history I De e e , Plai tiff filed a appli atio fo disa ilit i su a e e efits pu sua t to Title II of the “o ial “e u it A t, allegi g that she e a e disa led i No e Re o d AR , p. . Plai tiff’s i su ed status e pi ed i De e e . I he Jul ot ithsta di g he i pai sede ta o k. AR, p. a ilit to pe fo . Ad i ist ati e , aki g the issue efo e the ALJ hethe Plai tiff as disa led du i g the ele a t pe iod f o No e . AR, p. e e th ough De e e de isio , the ALJ fou d that, du i g the ele a t pe iod, Plai tiff had, e ts, the esidual fu tio al apa it RFC to pe fo a li ited a ge of . The ALJ o luded that Plai tiff as ot disa led e ause she etai ed the he past ele a t o k as a sede ta offi e a age . AR, p. . The ALJ Dockets.Justia.com a k o ledged that Plai tiff’s o ditio sig ifi a tl de li ed i AR, p. – afte the date last i su ed i . “he as ad itted to a u si g fa ilit a d died i No e e . Plai tiff suffe ed f o o esit , dia etes ellitus, histo of o gesti e hea t failu e, a d h o i o st u ti e pul o a disease. ALJ’s de isio , AR, p. . “he had a histo of le gth hospitalizatio s o fou o asio s efo e, du i g, a d afte the ele a t pe iod f o No e De e e . “he as hospitalized fo t el e da s i Ja ua e th ough , due to ellulitis a te ial ski i fe tio of the a do i al all e ui i g su ge a d ou d a pla e e t; fo i e da s i De e a d Ja ua e t e ities; fo e , due to o gesti e hea t failu e a d pitti g ede a s elli g of the lo e da s i O to e a d No e e , due to pa i ulitis i fla atio of su uta eous adipose tissue a d st epto o us septi e ia a te ial loodst ea i fe tio ; a d fo t e t da s i August , due to dia eti ketoa idosis, ellulitis of the left lo e e t e it , u i a t a t i fe tio , a d sepsis i fla ato espo se to i fe tio . AR, pp. ; ; ; . The ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff had a RFC for sede tary ork duri g the rele a t period as supported y su sta tial e ide e. Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ’s fi di g that she had a RFC fo sede ta o k du i g the ele a t pe iod f o No e e th ough De e e as ot suppo ted su sta tial e ide e. The a gu e t is u pe suasi e e ause Plai tiff had the u de of p o i g that she as i apa le of e e sede ta o k i suppo t of he disa ilit lai , a d she failed to do so. See Cruse v. Co ’r of Soc. Sec., F. d , th Ci . e iste e a d se e it of li itatio s aused pe fo also . he i pai i g he past ele a t o k uoti g Jo es v. Co C.F.R. § a . e ts a d the fa t that she is p e luded f o 'r, F. d , th Ci . ; see a I ge e al, ou ha e to p o e to us that ou a e li d o disa led a d I ge e al, ou a e espo si le fo p o idi g the e ide e e ill use to ake a fi di g a out ou esidual fu tio al apa it [T]he lai a t ea s the u de of p o i g the . I suppo t of he lai , Plai tiff o tai ed the opi io of he t eati g ph si ia , Ro e t Hughes, ho o pleted the sta da d ph si al assess e t fo ould p e lude sede ta o k. AR, p. i Ja ua i a a e hi h, if a epted, . A o g othe thi gs, D . Hughes opi ed that Plai tiff’s o gesti e hea t failu e CHF , h pe te sio HTN , a d o id o esit left he u a le to sit fo o e tha o e hou du i g a eight hou o kda . The ALJ affo ded o eight to D . Hughes’ opi io fo the ele a t pe iod e ause it as gi e : … o e tha th ee ea s afte the date last i su ed e pi ed. … As stated ea lie , the e ide e of e o d i di ates a de li e i the lai a t’s o ditio afte the date last i su ed e pi ed. Ho e e , the issue efo e u de sig ed is ega di g the lai a t’s a ilit to pe fo o k a ti it p io to De e e , . AR, p. . D . Hughes did ot i di ate that his opi io elates a k to the pe iod p io to De e . The opi io , the efo e, as of little p o ati e alue. See Grisier v. Co th Ci . ’r, F. App’ e , , olle ti g autho ities fo the p opositio that post date last i su ed edi al e ide e ge e all has little p o ati e alue u less it illu i ates the lai a t’s health efo e the i su a e utoff date . The ALJ did ot e i eje ti g D . Hughes’ opi io . This ase is si ila to Ki g v. Co issio er, No. : CV , WL N.D. Ohio , a d suppo ts a o lusio that the ALJ’s de isio as suppo ted due to a a se e of p oof of disa li g fu tio al li itatio s du i g the ele a t pe iod. I Ki g, the ALJ as alled upo to dete disa ilit status f o August to Ma h , ased o a appli atio filed i Ma i e Ki g’s . Id. at * . The ALJ fou d that Ki g as ot disa led e ause, du i g the ele a t pe iod, he etai ed the a ilit to pe fo past ele a t o k. Id. at * . Although the e as o e a i i g sou e edi al opi io ega di g Ki g’s RFC du i g the ele a t pe iod, the Cou t held that it as Ki g’s ot the ALJ’s dut to su it su h e ide e i suppo t of his disa ilit lai . Id. at * su h e ide e a d, e ause he as ep ese ted . Ki g had a ple oppo tu it to su it ou sel, the ALJ had o heighte ed dut to o tai a e a i i g ph si ia opi io ega di g Ki g's fu tio al li itatio s du i g the ele a t ti e pe iod. Id. at . . While a ALJ’s RFC a e ased upo o take i to a ou t a pa ti ula edi al opi io ith espe t to a lai a t’s fu tio al li itatio s, [t]he ALJ, ot a ph si ia , is assig ed the espo si ilit of dete i i g a lai a t's RFC ased o the e ide e as a hole … i ludi g the edi al e ide e ot li ited to edi al opi io testi o , a d the lai a t's testi o . Id. itatio o itted . At the lose of the ad i ist ati e hea i g, the ALJ e plai ed to Plai tiff that the dispositi e issue is ot ho ou’ e feeli g o a d ho ou’ e doi g o , [ ut athe ] ho e e ou doi g a k i ? AR, p. . The ALJ ha a te ized the e o d as i o plete e ause e eall do ’t ha e a lot of [ edi al] e o ds f o that ti e pe iod efo e, a d so if the e’s a edi al e ide e ou a fi d, I ould e tai l e ou age ou to get that i . AR, p. . “pe ifi all , edi al e ide e as eeded ea i g o Plai tiff’s a ilit to sit fo e te ded pe iods of ti e o a d efo e De e left the e o d ope fo p es i ed o p essio da s fo ou sel to su e . The ALJ it su h e ide e, i ludi g he she as fi st appi gs fo he lo e e t e ities due to s elli g a d deep ei th o lo al lood lotti g , ho e o ge , a d a assisti e de i e su h as a a e o alke . AR, pp. , osis . I he de isio , the ALJ oted the la k of sig ifi a t post hea i g e ide e o these atte s, stati g that [t]he ep ese tati e su August th ough De e itted a p i tout of the lai a t’s edi atio s that e e p es i ed f o e . The ep ese tati e also su itted additio al edi al e o ds, ut ost as ega di g t eat e t afte the date last i su ed. Id. The ALJ o luded that Plai tiff as ot disa led due to a a se e of e ide e, p io to the date last i su ed, of i a ilit to pe fo sede ta o k fo a o ti uous o th pe iod: “pe ifi all , ult asou ds pe fo ed i De e e a d O to e e ealed o e ide e of deep e ous th o osis i he ilate al [lo e ] a d uppe e t e ities. While she as hospitalized i fo ellulitis, he o ditio i p o ed. Id. . Be ause Plai tiff a ied the u de of p o i g that she ould ot pe fo he past ele a t o k a d as affo ded a oppo tu it to o tai D . Hughes’ opi io a d a othe e ide e ea i g o he a ilit to pe fo pe fo sede ta o k du i g the ele a t pe iod , the ALJ’s fi di g that she ould sede ta o k as suppo ted su sta tial e ide e. Plai tiff’s re ai i g argu e ts are u persuasi e. Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ failed to full app e iate the atu e a d se e it of he o gesti e hea t failu e. Do ket # , p. . Plai tiff’s o gesti e hea t failu e is asso iated ith sho t ess of eath a d histo of falls due to episodes of lo lood p essu e. Co gesti e hea t failu e is a pe siste t o lo g te h o i o ditio i hi h the hea t does ot pu p lood as ell as it should due to i ade uate pu pi g s stoli failu e o filli g diastoli failu e . Pal er v. Co ’r, No. : CV , WL , at * Aug. , N.D. Te as . Plai tiff asse ts that he a diologist, Natha iel Dittoe, diag osed diastoli hea t failu e a d that [d]iastoli hea t failu e does ot lo e the patie t's eje tio [pu pi g] f a tio . Do ket # , p. . “he a gues that the ALJ’s efe e e to a la k of sig ifi a t edu tio i eje tio f a tio AR, p. as, the efo e, i ele a t a d isleadi g. Do ket # , p. . The e is o i di atio that the ALJ dis ou ted Plai tiff’s o gesti e hea t failu e due to la k of edu tio i eje tio f a tio , a d, e e if she did, Plai tiff has ot sho , that he o gesti e hea t failu e p e luded sede ta o k p io to De e e . Fi all , Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ’s de isio does ot o po t ith the Co issio e ’s poli ies a d p o edu es fo e aluati g disa ilit lai s i ol i g o esit set fo th i “o ial “e u it Ruli g “o . “e . Rul. p, WL . While a lai a t a ot e fou d to e disa led ased o o esit alo e, a ALJ ust o side the effe ts of o esit … he assessi g a lai at [all] steps of the se ue tial e aluatio p o ess, i ludi g he assessi g a i di idual's esidual fu tio al apa it [RFC]. Id. at * . It is i suffi ie t fo a ALJ to efe e e a lai a t’s o esit i passi g. Shilo v. Co 'r, N.D. Ohio F. App’ , th Ci . . “o . “e . Rul. – iti g Nor a v. Co ’r, F.“upp. d , p does ot, ho e e , a date a pa ti ula ode of a al sis i assessi g the effe ts of o esit . Id. uoti g Bledsoe v. Co ’r, F. App’ , th Ci . . I this ase, the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff had a RFC fo sede ta o k du i g the ele a t pe iod ade uatel o side ed the effe ts of he o esit e ause the ALJ dis ussed li i al fi di gs o pe fo al st e gth, gait, statio , efle es AR, p. that, ut fo he o esit , ould ha e allo ed a e of g eate tha sede ta o k e ui i g o e sta di g/ alki g . Additio all , e ause Plai tiff as o ese oth efo e a d afte the date she alleges she e a e disa led, it is ot appa e t ho the effe ts of he o esit e de ed he disa led du i g the ele a t pe iod. Order Be ause the ALJ’s de isio as suppo ted appli a le legal sta da ds, the Co issio e ’s fi al de isio is he e AFFIRMED a d Plai tiff’s Co plai t is DI“MI““ED. August 17, 2018 su sta tial e ide e a d as i a o d ith
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