Burks v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 5:2019cv00164 - Document 14 (W.D. Ky. 2020)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 5/14/2020. The Court hereby AFFIRMS the Commissioner's final decision and DISMISSES Plaintiff's complaint. cc: Counsel of Record (MNM)
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Burks v. Commissioner of Social Security RANDY C. BURKS Doc. 14 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY PADUCAH DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : 9 CV LLK PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT v. ANDREW SAUL, Co issio er of Social Security MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This atter is efore the Court o Plai tiff's o plai t seeki g judi ial re ie , pursua t to U.“.C. § g , of the fi al de isio of the Co e efits. The fa t a d la su issio er de i g her lai for so ial se urit disa ilit aries of Plai tiff a d Defe da t are at Do kets Nu er DN a d . The parties ha e o se ted to the jurisdi tio of the u dersig ed Magistrate Judge to deter i e this ase, ith a appeal l i g efore the “i th Cir uit Court of Appeals. [DN ]. Be ause the Ad i istrati e La Judge s ALJ s de isio is supported a d Plai tiff s three argu e ts are u persuasi e, the Court ill AFFI‘M the Co su sta tial e ide e issio er s fi al de isio a d DI“MI““ Plai tiff s o plai t. Plai tiff alleges she e a e disa led a d e titled to disa ilit i sura e e efits u der Title II of the “o ial “e urit A t o No e “epte er , er , . Id. As of No e su sta tial gai ful a ti it at her o . [DN at er , ]. “he as last i sured for e efits o , Plai tiff as doi g ails three da s a eek ot usi ess as a a i urist. Id. at , , . Plai tiff alleges disa ilit due to igrai e heada hes a d depressio /a iet . The ALJ fou d Plai tiff as ot disa led duri g the rele a t period et ee No e er , a d “epte er , e ause she retai ed the a ilit to perfor her past rele a t ork as a a i urist a d a ager as ell as other light jo s that e ist i sig ifi a t u ers i the atio al e o o . Id. at . Dockets.Justia.com First, Plai tiff argues that the ALJ erred i fi di g that, duri g the rele a t period et ee No e er , a d “epte refere i g DN at er , , her depressio a d a iet ere o se ere. [DN at ]. The ALJ re og ized that, duri g the rele a t period, ad a ed pra ti e registered urse AP‘N Hele Ca e pres ri ed Plai tiff )oloft a d Xa a o a as eeded asis. [DN at ]. Ho e er, a ordi g to the ALJ, Plai tiff s depressio a d a iet ere ot se ere, or o atio all sig ifi a t, for the follo i g reaso s: Id. at … I Mar h , she reported that her depressio as u h i pro ed ith reports of o l ild a iet . … There is o e ide e of re ord of for al e tal health i ter e tio or that su h treat e t as edi all e essar . The la a t testified of o treat e t ith a ps hiatrist or ou selor. O erall, the re ord sho s depressio a d a iet ere atte uated ith edi atio a d her i pair e ts ere o se ere. The u dersig ed fi ds o ore tha ild li itatio s i u dersta di g, re e eri g a d appl i g i for atio ; i tera ti g ith others; o e trati g, persisti g a d ai tai i g pa e; a d adapti g a d a agi g o eself. … . Plai tiff s argu e t is u persuasi e e ause she fails to poi t to a e ide e that her depressio a d a iet resulted i ore tha ild li itatio prior to “epte Soc. Sec., F. App' , th Cir. er , . See Despi s . Co 'r of To sur ou t the step t o [se erit ] hurdle, [Plai tiff] ears the ulti ate urde of esta lishi g that the ad i istrati e re ord o tai s o je ti e edi al e ide e suggesti g that [he] as disa led, as defi ed i sured. ; C.F.‘. § four areas dis ussed . ad the A t, o or prior to the date [he] as last If e rate the degrees of our li itatio as o e or ild [i the the ALJ] e ill ge erall o lude that our [ e tal] i pair e t s is ot se ere. . While Plai tiff atte pts to fault the ALJ s fi di g that [i] Mar h , [Plai tiff] reported that her depressio as u h i pro ed ith reports of o l ild a iet [DN at refere i g DN at ], asserti g that o su h report e ists, Plai tiff is istake . O Mar h , , Ad a ed Pra ti e ‘egistered Nurse AP‘N “usa ‘o erso , oted that Plai tiff report[ed] ild a iet a d depressio , o u h i pro ed ith the urre t edi atio s. [DN at .] “e o d, Plai tiff argues that the ALJ erred i faili g to o sider the possi ilit that, duri g the rele a t period et ee No e er , a d “epte er , , her igrai es ould ha e aused a degree of a se teeis , u relia ilit , a d ti e off task that ost e plo ers ould ha e fou d i tolera le. [DN at ]. The argu e t is u persuasi e for three reaso s. First, the ALJ did o sider ut reje ted this possi ilit he he e aluated Plai tiff s li itatio s due to pai a d other su je ti e s o luded that she a e ertheless perfor a li ited ra ge of light ork. [DN at pto s a d ]. “e o d, Plai tiff fails to poi t to a e ide e that her igrai es ould ha e aused a disa li g degree of a se teeis prior to “epte er , . “ee to us that ou are li d or disa led a d C.F.‘. §§ . a . a I ge eral, ou ha e to pro e I ge eral, ou are respo si le for pro idi g the e ide e e ill use to ake a fi di g a out our residual fu tio al apa it Third, Plai tiff argues that, duri g the rele a t period et ee No e , , her igrai es ere disa li g e ause, i No e Bra des, M.D., assessed her as ha i g status igrai osus. [DN er , a d “epte er , her treati g eurologist, Ja L. igrai e ithout aura, ith i tra ta le igrai e, so stated, ith at ]. A igrai e that lasts for ore tha igrai osus. Li da Judy W. . Co , er . 'r, No. : CV AJB, WL hours is alled status , at . N.D. Ga. “ept. . Dr. Bra des assessed status igrai osus alo g ith eight other o ditio s: Assess e ts . Chro i igrai e ithout aura, ith i tra ta le igrai e, so stated, ith status igrai osus – . Pri ar . “ pto ati e opausal or fe ale li a teri states – . . Depressio – . Migrai e ithout aura, ith i tra ta le igrai e, so stated, ith status igrai osus – . . Osteope ia – . . Vita i D defi ie , u spe ified – . . Drug i du ed heada he, ot else here lassified – . . Ne k pai / spas s – . . O ipital eutralgia – . . No spe ifi rea tio to tu er uli ski test ithout a ti e tu er ulosis – . [DN at ]. Plai tiff s argu e t is u persuasi e for three reaso s. First, the ere diag osis of [a i pair e t], of ourse, sa s othi g a out the se erit of the o ditio . Higgs . Bo e , th Cir. . “e o d, e e if Plai tiff had a igrai e lasti g ore tha hours i No e it did ot last for a o ti uous period of ot less tha o ths. U.“.C. § d is a la k of e ide e Plai tiff s igrai es t pi all last hours. For e a ple, i No e F. d , er , A . Third, there er , he Plai tiff ega treat e t ith Dr. Bra des, Plai tiff reported she t pi all aits u til a heada he rea hes a pai le el of efore taki g “u atripta / I itre , a d the the heada he usuall resol es to a pai le el of ithi i utes. [DN at ]. I De e er , she reported she ould a ort the heada he[s] … / of the ti e ith the us le rela a t “kela i at o set of e k pai , a d the re ai i g / resol e[] ithi i utes ith I itre . Id. at . I Ja uar o sidera le i pro e e t. Id. I Mar h, she reported o l o e igrai e. Id. I Jul a igrai e at Easter that as the orst i a er lo g ti e. Id. at , she reported , she reported . Ho e er, she agai reported that, ith “u atripta , she is t pi all pai free i hours. Id. Plai tiff did ot retur to Dr. Bra des u til De e er after her “epte er , date last i sured . Id. at . Order Be ause the Ad i istrati e La Judge s ALJ s de isio is supported su sta tial e ide e a d Plai tiff s three argu e ts are u persuasi e, the Court here AFFI‘M“ the Co de isio a d DI“MI““E“ Plai tiff s o plai t. May 14, 2020 issio er s fi al
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