Donini v. Kijakazi

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Washington
DecidedMarch 21, 2022
Docket1:21-cv-03052
StatusUnknown

This text of Donini v. Kijakazi (Donini v. Kijakazi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Donini v. Kijakazi, (E.D. Wash. 2022).

Opinion

1 Mar 21, 2022

2 SEAN F. MCAVOY, CLERK

5 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 6

7 LINDA D., NO: 1:21-CV-03052-LRS 8 Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING, IN PART, 9 v. PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT 10 KILOLO KIJAKAZI, ACTING COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL 11 SECURITY,1

12 Defendant.

13 14 BEFORE THE COURT are the parties’ cross motions for summary 15 judgment. ECF Nos. 13, 14. This matter was submitted for consideration without 16 oral argument. Plaintiff is represented by Attorney D. James Tree. Defendant is 17 18 1Kilolo Kijakazi became the Acting Commissioner of Social Security on 19 July 9, 2021. Pursuant to Rule 25(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 20 Kilolo Kijakazi is substituted for Andrew M. Saul as the defendant in this suit. No 21 further action need be taken to continue this suit. See 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). 1 represented by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey E. Staples. The 2 Court has reviewed the administrative record, the parties’ completed briefing, and 3 is fully informed. For the reasons discussed below, the Court GRANTS, in part, 4 Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 13, DENIES Defendant’s

5 Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 14, and remands the case to the 6 Commissioner for additional proceedings. 7 JURISDICTION

8 Plaintiff Linda D.2 protectively filed an application for Supplemental 9 Security Income (SSI) on December 14, 2018, Tr. 112, alleging an onset date of 10 December 1, 2018, Tr. 211, due to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 11 (ADHD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, insomnia,

12 obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), migraines, memory problems, anger 13 problems, and hepatitis C, Tr. 254. Plaintiff’s application was denied initially, Tr. 14 141-44, and upon reconsideration, Tr. 148-54. A hearing before Administrative

15 Law Judge Glen G. Meyers (“ALJ”) was conducted on July 21, 2020. Tr. 54-94. 16 Plaintiff was represented by counsel and testified at the hearing. Id. The ALJ also 17 took the testimony of vocational expert Jennifer Bowes. Id. The ALJ entered an 18 unfavorable decision on August 5, 2020. Tr. 17-31. The Appeals Council denied

2In the interest of protecting Plaintiff’s privacy, the Court will use Plaintiff’s 20 first name and last initial, and, subsequently, Plaintiff’s first name only, throughout 21 1 review on February 9, 2021. Tr. 1-7. Therefore, the ALJ’s August 5, 2020 2 decision became the final decision of the Commissioner. The matter is now before 3 this Court pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 405(g); 1383(c). ECF No. 1. 4 BACKGROUND

5 The facts of the case are set forth in the administrative hearing and 6 transcripts, the ALJ’s decision, and the briefs of Plaintiff and the Commissioner. 7 Only the most pertinent facts are summarized here.

8 Plaintiff was 37 years old at the date of application. Tr. 211. The highest 9 grade Plaintiff completed was the tenth grade, and she received special education 10 throughout school. Tr. 255. At the time of the hearing, Plaintiff was attending 11 courses to complete her GED. Tr. 70, 308, 313-14. Plaintiff’s reported work

12 history includes the jobs of packer/sorter at a warehouse, waitress, and food 13 handler at a fast-food restaurant. Tr. 256, 271-78. At application, she stated that 14 she stopped working on July 15, 2008, because of her conditions. Tr. 255.

15 STANDARD OF REVIEW 16 A district court’s review of a final decision of the Commissioner of Social 17 Security is governed by 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). The scope of review under § 405(g) is 18 limited; the Commissioner’s decision will be disturbed “only if it is not supported

19 by substantial evidence or is based on legal error.” Hill v. Astrue, 698 F.3d 1153, 20 1158 (9th Cir. 2012). “Substantial evidence” means “relevant evidence that a 21 reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Id. at 1159 1 (quotation and citation omitted). Stated differently, substantial evidence equates to 2 “more than a mere scintilla[,] but less than a preponderance.” Id. (quotation and 3 citation omitted). In determining whether the standard has been satisfied, a 4 reviewing court must consider the entire record as a whole rather than searching

5 for supporting evidence in isolation. Id. 6 In reviewing a denial of benefits, a district court may not substitute its 7 judgment for that of the Commissioner. “The court will uphold the ALJ’s

8 conclusion when the evidence is susceptible to more than one rational 9 interpretation.” Tommasetti v. Astrue, 533 F.3d 1035, 1038 (9th Cir. 2008). 10 Further, a district court will not reverse an ALJ’s decision on account of an error 11 that is harmless. Id. An error is harmless where it is “inconsequential to the

12 [ALJ’s] ultimate nondisability determination.” Id. (quotation and citation omitted). 13 The party appealing the ALJ’s decision generally bears the burden of establishing 14 that it was harmed. Shinseki v. Sanders, 556 U.S. 396, 409-10 (2009).

15 FIVE-STEP EVALUATION PROCESS 16 A claimant must satisfy two conditions to be considered “disabled” within 17 the meaning of the Social Security Act. First, the claimant must be “unable to 18 engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable

19 physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which 20 has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 21 months.” 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(A). Second, the claimant’s impairment must be 1 “of such severity that he is not only unable to do his previous work[,] but cannot, 2 considering his age, education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of 3 substantial gainful work which exists in the national economy.” 42 U.S.C. § 4 423(d)(2)(A).

5 The Commissioner has established a five-step sequential analysis to 6 determine whether a claimant satisfies the above criteria. See 20 C.F.R. § 7 416.920(a)(4)(i)-(v). At step one, the Commissioner considers the claimant’s work

8 activity. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(i). If the claimant is engaged in “substantial 9 gainful activity,” the Commissioner must find that the claimant is not disabled. 20 10 C.F.R. § 416.920(b). 11 If the claimant is not engaged in substantial gainful activity, the analysis

12 proceeds to step two. At this step, the Commissioner considers the severity of the 13 claimant’s impairment. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(ii). If the claimant suffers from 14 “any impairment or combination of impairments which significantly limits [his or

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