Eberhart v. Massanari

172 F. Supp. 2d 589, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18889, 2001 WL 1474742
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 19, 2001
Docket3:00CV0817
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 172 F. Supp. 2d 589 (Eberhart v. Massanari) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eberhart v. Massanari, 172 F. Supp. 2d 589, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18889, 2001 WL 1474742 (M.D. Pa. 2001).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

MUNLEY, District Judge.

Plaintiff Rebecca Eberhardt, asserting error in the denial of her application under Title II of the Social Security Act, (hereinafter “Act”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 401^133, has appealed the final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security, (hereinafter “Commissioner”) to deny her claim for disability benefits. Before the court for disposition is the report and recommendation of Magistrate Judge Malachy E. Mannion endorsing the affirmation of the Commissioner’s decision to deny benefits to the plaintiff. The plaintiff has filed objections to the report and recommendation. After a careful review, and for the reasons that follow, we will not adopt the magistrate’s report. Rather, we will grant benefits to the plaintiff.

*592 Background

At the time of filing the instant complaint, the plaintiff was forty-five years of age and residing in Milton, Northum-berland County, Pennsylvania. The defendant is the Commissioner of Social Security, who is charged with ultimate responsibility for determining eligibility for benefits under the Act. Plaintiff has a ninth grade education. She has a history of back problems and psychiatric disorders. Plaintiff maintains that her dys-thymic disorder, anxiety, panic attacks, severe scoliosis, dermatitis, residuals from burns and severe menstrual problems have rendered her totally unable to work. Compl. ¶ 10. Plaintiff has psychological and physical problems. What follows is a brief sketch of both gleaned from the administrative record.

A. Medical History

Plaintiff has a long history of psychological problems. In 1971, at seventeen years of age, plaintiff was hospitalized at Evangelical Hospital in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Her condition was described as follows: “This little girl has a bizarre history of having episodes of choking with inability to swallow and pain in the chest and abdomen. This has always been worse at her menstrual period. Two days ago she developed a severe nervous spell with some evidence of psychosis.” R. 155. 2

Plaintiff was diagnosed with schizophrenia, chronic undifferentiated type. (R. 154). Additionally, she developed catatonia while being treated. Her hospitalization lasted eleven days, and she was treated with Cogentin and Thorazine. (Id.).

In February of 1973, plaintiff, suffering from hallucinations and paranoia, again entered the Evangelical Community Hospital. During her thirteen-day stay, doctors diagnosed her with schizophrenic reaction, paranoid type. Her doctors prescribed the medication Prolixin. (R. 160.).

The Evangelical discharge summary states that she had been hospitalized with similar complaints in 1972 and showed improvement during that hospitalization. Her family, however, was uncooperative and discontinued the 1972 treatment. Plaintiff rapidly regressed. (R. 160.).

A subsequent hospitalization at Evangelical Hospital occurred on March 6, 1979. Plaintiffs doctor diagnosed her with schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, probable endometriosis, and mild hypothyroidism. She was placed on Mellaril. Her symptoms included extreme agitation, disorderliness, distrustfulness, insomnia, anorexia and wishes for death. (R. 177.). After a six day stay, the hospital transferred plaintiff to Geisinger Medical Center where she was deemed to be suffering from schizophrenic reaction chronic undifferentiated type. She was treated with Mellaril. (R. 184.).

Plaintiff next received mental health treatment from Dr. Nicholas Danforth at Geisinger in 1987. (R. 203). Dr. Dan-forth’s impression was that she suffered from generalized anxiety disorder with the possibility of superimposed panic attacks of a mild variety, avoidant personality disorder and anxiety induced insomnia. (R. 204). The doctor noted that supportive psychotherapy would be helpful but was not a viable option due to the negative reaction of plaintiffs husband. (R. 205).

Dr. Danforth described the plaintiff as follows: “an extraordinarily anxious and essentially disenfranchised human being with a pervasive, probably lifelong, generalized anxiety with severe insomnia and a tendency to probable panic attack.” (R. 204).

*593 At the request of the Social Security Administration, Jacqueline Sallade, Ed. D., (hereinafter “Dr. Sallade”), a clinical psychologist, performed a consultative examination of the plaintiff in 1997. She diagnosed the plaintiff with dysthymic disorder and panic disorder (mild). (R. 283). She concluded that the plaintiff could “possibly be in some work environments but not most” and that she could “tolerate some stress and pressures associated with regular part time activities, but not full time.” (R. 284). Dr. Sallade’s findings are discussed more fully below.

In addition to the psychological ailments that the plaintiff has suffered from, she has also been treated for some physical problems. At five years of age, plaintiff suffered severe burns on her back and thighs, resulting in extensive scarring. (R. 47,136,161).

Plaintiff also has cicatrical scoliosis of the spine, perhaps due to the scarring, which has been described as marked (R. 161) and severe (R. 191). Due to the condition she has pain while standing, doing housework or sitting (R. 60-62). Chiropractors treated her for many years, but she discontinued the treatment because her husband’s insurance would not cover it, and she cannot afford it. (R. 56-57, 280). Plaintiff treats the pain with over-the-counter pain medicine. (R. 62).

Other conditions that the plaintiff suffers from include asthmatic breathing problems (R. 57, 288), dermatitis or dry flaky skin (R. 161, 210-211, 331, 334), and severe menstrual problems (R. 180, 264). Her menstrual problems last for approximately one week each month during which she is in a bad mood, very emotional, easily upset and wants to be left alone. (R. 56, 70-71).

B. Procedural history

Plaintiff applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on May 16, 1997. Her application was denied initially and on reconsideration. Administrative Law Judge Jasper Bede, (hereinafter “ALJ”), also denied the claim. Plaintiff appealed to the Appeals Council, which denied the appeal on March 3, 2000. Consequently, the ALJ’s decision became the “final decision” of the Commissioner. 3 Thus having exhausted her administrative remedies, plaintiff now seeks review with this Court. Jurisdiction

This Court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) and 42 U.S.C. § 1383(c)(3) both of which permit review of final administrative decisions that deny claims for benefits under Title XVI of the Social Security Act.

Standard of Review

In disposing of objections to a magistrate’s report and recommendation, the district court must make a de novo determination of those portions of the report to which objections are made.

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Bluebook (online)
172 F. Supp. 2d 589, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18889, 2001 WL 1474742, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eberhart-v-massanari-pamd-2001.