Brown v. Cohen

297 F. Supp. 29, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10816
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Carolina
DecidedJanuary 28, 1969
DocketCiv. A. No. 68-269
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 297 F. Supp. 29 (Brown v. Cohen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. Cohen, 297 F. Supp. 29, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10816 (D.S.C. 1969).

Opinion

ORDER

DONALD RUSSELL, District Judge.

This is an action asking the District Court to review a final decision of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, in accordance with 205(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.A. § 405(g)). The decision of the Secretary denied the plaintiff the period of disability and disability insurance benefits for which he applied.

The plaintiff filed an application for disability insurance benefits on August 31, 1964, alleging that he became unable to work on January 9, 1964, due to high blood pressure and a heart ailment. This application was disallowed initially and after reconsideration. Upon plaintiff’s request a hearing was conducted by a Hearing Examiner who filed his decision dated July 27, 1965, holding that the plaintiff was not under a disability as defined in the Act beginning on or before November 1, 1964, for entitlement to disability insurance benefits, and on or before November 30, 1964, for establishment of a period of disability. The Appeals Council granted a review and affirmed the decision of the Hearing Examiner holding that the plaintiff was not entitled to a period of disability or to disability insurance benefits under the provisions of the Act in effect prior to the Social Security Amendments of 1965, or as amended thereby. An action was instituted by the plaintiff in the United States District Court and the Honorable Robert W. Hemphill, United States District Judge, affirmed the decision of the Secretary. No review was sought of Judge Hemphill’s opinion.

The plaintiff filed another application on February 24, 1967, again alleging that he became unable to work in January, 1964, because of high blood pressure and a heart ailment. This claim was denied initially and on reconsideration and the plaintiff requested a hearing. The Hearing Examiner found that the plaintiff was not under a disability within the meaning of the Act as amended July 30, 1965, at any time on or before January 2, 1968 — the date of the decision. The decision of the Hearing Examiner became the final decision of the Secretary when the Appeals Council affirmed the decision of the Hearing Examiner on February 13, 1968.

The plaintiff was born October 27, 1922; he has a ninth grade education; in an unskilled laborer (truck driver, longshoreman and concrete finisher), having worked as a concrete finisher until January 9, 1964, when he received a broken finger on his left hand. The only work he has done since that time is as a gardener for about two weeks (except the work he has been doing since October, 1967). He alleges that he has [31]*31had a heart ailment since birth and that he suffers with high blood pressure. Additionally, he says that every joint in his body hurts — that the hurting is in his chest and lower part of his stomach, head and arms; that walking brings on this pain — at times he can walk six blocks without feeling it and the next time he cannot walk two blocks before he feels the pain, and that on account of the stiffness of his joints, his wife has to help him dress; he tries to help his wife keep the house clean — but cleaning the windows about once a month is all he is able to do.

Plaintiff’s wife, who is a nurse’s aide, testified that her husband suffers pain in his stomach and chest, that he is unable to walk more than three blocks without suffering pain in his chest; that she helps him dress; that he often has sleepless nights; that when he has pain in his stomach and chest she applies a cold cloth, gives him Maalox for his stomach, and tries to keep him quiet. She says that he is unable to lift anything heavy. She further testified that her husband had not worked for about two and one-half years but she was not positive as to dates.

Since October, 1967, plaintiff has been employed by the Charleston Patrol and Guard Service, a private concern, at the C. E. Brown High School. His brother transports him to and from work. He works from 8:00 a. m. until 3:30 p. m., five days a week, standing on his feet all the time he is on the job. He described his duties as follows: “Q. Would your duties in this patrol outfit require you to restrain anyone physically? A. If it is possible. Q. What do you mean if it is possible? What could you do alternatively? A. If it’s somebody who does not belong to this particular school where I patrol; they are near the campus, which is not allowed, it is private property, I ask him to leave the school campus and he doesn’t I’ve got to manhandle him. If he gets where I cannot do, which I hope I don’t, or I’m not able to and if I do have to, then I’m supposed to go to the principal’s office, call the police department, let them send a patrol down to arrest him.” The job requires that plaintiff wear a uniform and that he be bonded. He is authorized to carry a pistol and blackjack. He makes from $48 to $50 a week. He testified that he is not paid when he is unable to work; that there have been about twenty-five days during the approximate seven weeks he has worked (at the time of the hearing) when he began feeling badly and took off an hour or several hours during the day, with the permission of the school principal, but without reporting such absence to the office and no record was made. The attorney for the plaintiff stated that no records and no testimony of the employer were offered for the reason that he had been instructed by plaintiff not to make any contact with plaintiff’s employer because plaintiff was afraid of being fired.

Plaintiff offered the affidavit of Reverend Grant, an ordained minister of the Episcopal Church, who is Director of an Episcopal Mission Center, stating that on one occasion when he went to the home of the plaintiff, he found plaintiff in bed complaining of pain. He expressed the opinion that the plaintiff “has not been able to work because of real impairments or those that he is convinced that he does have”; and with particular reference to the job plaintiff is now holding and the requirement that he carry a pistol and blackjack, Reverend Grant stated “he does not have the nervous temperament or stability to be entrusted to such a position. I would not under any circumstances allow him around children under my supervision while so armed.”

The medical evidence presented under the first application shows that a General Practitioner on September 16, 1964, made the following diagnosis of plaintiff’s condition: Vascular hypertension and with Valvular Heart Disease, suggesting that plaintiff’s activities should be restricted as to all laborious work at present. On October 8, 1964, an Internist examined plaintiff and stated that it appeared plaintiff may have hyperten[32]*32sive cardiovascular disease Class I with episodes of paroxysmal tachycardia, but that no definite conclusion could be reached until certain tests were performed. Plaintiff refused to have these tests made.

At the hearing on the second application, the following medical evidence was offered: A General Practitioner on March 21, 1967, made a diagnosis of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, severe and chronic rheumatoid hypertrophic arthritis. On March 20, 1967, another General Practitioner made a diagnosis of hypertension; neuritis (slight enlargement of heart). On April 8, 1967, an Internist diagnosed plaintiff’s condition as essential hypertension- — functional cardiac classification I; anxiety neurosis, and stated “It is the impression of this examiner that this patient has mild essential hypertension and that he is either a malingerer or is having a severe anxiety neurosis of such severe degree as to prohibit any gainful employment.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Torres v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND WELFARE
333 F. Supp. 676 (D. Puerto Rico, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
297 F. Supp. 29, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10816, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-cohen-scd-1969.