Ballard v. Social Security Administration, No. 6:2016cv00039 - Document 26 (E.D. Okla. 2017)

Court Description: OPINION AND ORDER Awarding Attorney's Fees to the Plaintiff Under the EAJA by Magistrate Judge Steven P. Shreder GRANTING IN PART 24 Motion for Attorney Fees by Diane M. Ballard. (tmb, Chambers)

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Ballard v. Social Security Administration Doc. 26 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA DIANE M. BALLARD, Plaintiff, v. CAROLYN W. COLVIN, Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Defendant. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Case No. CIV-16-39-SPS OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING ATTORNEY’S FEES TO THE PLAINTIFF UNDER THE EAJA Plaintiff Diane M. Ballard was the prevailing party in this action under the Social Security Act. Plaintiff originally sought an award of attorney’s fees in the amount of $7,434.10, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d). See Docket No. 24. The Commissioner subsequently filed a response, indicating that the parties had agreed to an award of $2,500.00, a reduction of $4,934.10 from the original fee request. See Docket No. 25. Upon review of the record herein, the Court finds that the agreed amount is reasonable and that the Commissioner should be ordered to pay it to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. See 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A) (“Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, a court shall award to a prevailing party other than the United States fees and other expenses, in addition to any costs awarded pursuant to subsection (a), incurred by that party in any civil action (other than cases sounding in Dockets.Justia.com tort)[.]”); see also Manning v. Astrue, 510 F.3d 1246, 1251 (10th Cir. 2007) (“The EAJA therefore permits attorney’s fees reimbursement to financially eligible prevailing parties, who make a proper application, and not to their attorneys.”). Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Plaintiff’s Motion for Attorney Fees Pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act [Docket No. 24] is GRANTED IN PART, to the extent that the Government is hereby ordered to pay the agreed-upon $2,500.00 fee award to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if the Plaintiff’s attorney is subsequently awarded any fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 406(b)(1), said attorney shall refund the smaller amount of such fees to the Plaintiff pursuant to Weakley v. Bowen, 803 F.2d 575, 580 (10th Cir. 1986). DATED this 14th day of June, 2017. _____________________________________ STEVEN P. SHREDER UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE -2-

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