Curtis v. Sullivan

808 F. Supp. 917, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19311, 1992 WL 378836
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Hampshire
DecidedNovember 30, 1992
Docket1:05-adr-00008
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 808 F. Supp. 917 (Curtis v. Sullivan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Curtis v. Sullivan, 808 F. Supp. 917, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19311, 1992 WL 378836 (D.N.H. 1992).

Opinion

ORDER

DiCLERIGO, Acting Chief Judge.

In this action, Susan Curtis (“claimant”) seeks review of a final determination of the defendant Louis Sullivan, Secretary of Health and Human Services (“Secretary”) denying her application for Social Security disability benefits. The court has jurisdiction pursuant to 42 U.S.C.A. § 405(g) (West 1991). Currently before the court are Plaintiff’s Motion for an Order Reversing the Decision of the Secretary and Defendant’s Motion for an Order Affirming the Decision of the Secretary.

I. Facts

Claimant was born on January 3, 1955 and currently resides in Deerfield, New Hampshire. Transcript (“Tr.”) 43, 44. She has a high school education and completed a secretarial course. Tr. 45, 95. She formerly worked as a photo technician, a cashier at a self-service gas station and an order filler. Tr. 45, 46, 48.

Claimant seeks benefits for a closed period of disability from May 3, 1987 to March 26, 1990 and from May 29, 1990 to July 14, 1990. Tr. 59. Claimant alleges a back injury prevented her from performing substantial gainful activity during this period. *920 Her last insured status for disability benefits expired on September 30, 1988. Tr. 2, 18.

Claimant worked as an “N/C Programmer” on printed circuit boards from 1973 to 1976. Tr. 95. She worked at Hadco Printed Circuits (“Hadco”) as a photo technician from 1983 to May 1986, when the company closed down. Tr.' 8-9; but see Tr. 196 (1985). Claimant worked as a self-service gas station/convenience store cashier for a four to six week period in December 1986 and January 1987. Tr. 38, 48-49. She worked as an order filler at Cotter & Company from January 1987 to May 2 or 3, 1987, when she was fired for not keeping the required pace. Tr. 49-51 (May 3); 196 (May 2), 40 (May 3). She was unemployed until she returned to Hadco as a photo technician on March 26, 1990. Tr. 21, 51, 196. She had back surgery on May 29, 1990 and missed six weeks of work while recovering, but otherwise has been continually employed at Hadco since March 1990. Tr. 19, 21, 189.

II. Medical History

Claimant’s attorney alleges claimant injured her back and neck in an automobile accident in May 1985. Tr. 39, 154, 160. Following the accident, claimant saw Dr. Charles Detwiler, a surgical neurologist, and attended physiotherapy for one month without improvement. Tr. 154, 160. On August 20, 1985, Dr. Merwyn Bagan, a surgical neurologist, diagnosed a cervical and lumbar strain. Tr. 154-55.

Dr. James Shea, an orthopedic surgeon, treated claimant from September 1986 until August 1989. Tr. 160-172. On September 18, 1986, Dr. Shea diagnosed cervical and lumbar strains and prescribed a Medrol Dosepak. Tr. 161, 173. On October 2, 1986, Dr. Shea noted claimant had a “disc bulge at the L5-S1 level,” and prescribed physiotherapy and a pool program. Tr. 161. On October 28, 1986, Dr. Shea noted that although conservative therapy had failed to improve claimant's condition, surgery was not indicated and prescribed an abdominal binder. Tr. 162.

On January 15, 1987 Dr. Shea noted claimant had begun work at a convenience store and that her back had become severe enough for him to consult neurosurgery about possible surgery. Tr. 162. Claimant alleges she reinjured her back on April 1, 1987. Tr. 38, 156, 163. She saw Dr. Shea several times between April 1987 and March 1988, and he diagnosed a lumbar strain. Tr. 163-69. He prescribed rest, exercises and physiotherapy, refilled a prescription for Wygesic and prescribed a car seat support and Medrol Dosepak, gave claimant an injection, and ordered a CT-Scan. Tr. 163-69. Dr. William Kilgus, an orthopaedic surgeon, examined claimant on July 7, 1987 and diagnosed a chronic lumbar strain with a “probably herniated lumbar disc.” Tr. 174.

A CT-Scan on January 19, 1988 revealed a “large central disc herniation.” Tr. 178. On March 22, 1988 Dr. Shea noted “A CT-Scan of her lumbar spine after 4/1/87 injury, taken at [hospital] on 1/19/88, shows a large herniated L4-5 disc — this is conclusive evidence that her 4/87 injury was a new injury, markedly worse then [sic] her previous condition and unrelated to her previous condition, since previously she had a muscular strain, whereas since 4/1/87 she has had a huge herniated lumbar disc.” Tr. 169. Dr. Shea noted Dr. Bagan had examined claimant on February 9, 1988 and had proposed surgery. Tr. 169. Dr. Ronald Faille, a surgical neurologist, examined claimant and the CT-Scan in November 1988 and noted the disc herniation. Tr. 156, 179-80. Dr. Shea’s notes from examinations of claimant between August 1988 and August 1989 document claimant’s condition worsening and claimant “not doing very well at all.” Tr. 171-72.

Dr. Bagan noted on May 9, 1990 that claimant’s condition continued to deteriorate. Tr. 186. Claimant underwent surgery on May 29, 1990 for a herniated disc. Tr. 189. On July 10, 1990 a postoperative examination by Dr. Bagan found no back nor leg pain, and Dr. Bagan discharged claimant. Tr. 192.

*921 III Procedural History

Claimant filed an application for disability insurance benefits on August 16, 1989. Tr. 182. The claim initially was denied on September 27, 1989 and a request for reconsideration was filed on or about November 15, 1989. Tr. 100, 106. The request for reconsideration was denied May 2, 1990. Tr. 125. Claimant requested a hearing which was held before an Administrative Law Judge (“AU”) on October 15, 1990. Tr. 31-86, 127.

The AU applied the five-step sequential process applicable to a claimant’s initial disability application. 1 20 C.F.R. § 404.-1520 (1992); see, e.g., Ortiz v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, 890 F.2d 520, 522 (1st Cir.1989). The AU found (1) claimant had not engaged in substantial gainful activity (“SGA”) since May 3, 1987 except from March 26, 1990 to May 29, 1990 and from July 14, 1990 to the hearing date; (2) claimant has severe herniated nucleus pulposi of the lumbosacral spine; (3) claimant does not have an impairment or combination of impairments listed in, or medically equivalent to, one listed in Appendix 1, Subpart P, Regulations No. 4; (4) claimant’s impairment does not prevent her from performing her past relevant work (“PRW”) as a cashier; and (5) claimant could do other work existing in the national economy in significant numbers, as a cashier/ticket taker and security system monitor. Tr. 21-22. Accordingly, the AU determined claimant was not under a “disability” as defined in the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C.A. § 423(d)(1)(A) (West 1991), and denied claimant benefits in an opinion issued January 14, 1991. Tr. 16-22. Claimant requested review of the AU’s decision by the Appeals Council, which was denied on August 9, 1991. Tr. 3-4, 13.

Claimant filed this suit on October 8, 1991, challenging the AU’s step four finding that she could return to her past relevant work as a cashier.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
808 F. Supp. 917, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19311, 1992 WL 378836, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/curtis-v-sullivan-nhd-1992.