Hargrove v. Social Security Administration, Commissioner

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedApril 30, 2024
Docket7:23-cv-00434
StatusUnknown

This text of Hargrove v. Social Security Administration, Commissioner (Hargrove v. Social Security Administration, Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hargrove v. Social Security Administration, Commissioner, (N.D. Ala. 2024).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA WESTERN DIVISION

JOHNACA HARGROVE, ) )

) Plaintiff, ) v. )

) COMMISSIONER, SOCIAL ) Case No.: 7:23-cv-434-AMM SECURITY ) ADMINISTRATION, )

) Defendant. )

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION Plaintiff Johnaca Hargrove brings this action pursuant to the Social Security Act (the “Act”), seeking review of the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner”) denying her claim for supplemental security income. See 42 U.S.C. § 1383(c)(3). Based on the court’s review of the record, the court REVERSES the decision of the Commissioner. I. Introduction On July 12, 2021, Ms. Hargrove protectively filed an application for supplemental security income under Title XVI of the Act, alleging disability beginning February 9, 2021. R. 17, 66–72. Ms. Hargrove alleges disability due to anemia, iron deficiency, ulcerative colitis,1 and weight loss. R. 66. She has at least a high school education and has past relevant work experience as a fast-food worker.

R. 26. The Social Security Administration (“SSA”) initially denied Ms. Hargrove’s application on September 7, 2021, and again denied it upon reconsideration on

December 22, 2021. R. 17, 66–82, 100–01. On January 25, 2022, Ms. Hargrove filed a request for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”). R. 17, 105. That request was granted. R. 129–31, 153–57. Ms. Hargrove received a telephone hearing before ALJ Sheila E. McDonald on July 14, 2022. R. 33–65. On September

9, 2022, ALJ McDonald issued a decision, finding that Ms. Hargrove was not disabled from July 12, 2021 through the date of her decision. R. 17–27. Ms. Hargrove was thirty-five years old at the time of the ALJ decision. R. 26.

Ms. Hargrove appealed to the Appeals Council, which denied her request for review on February 7, 2023. R. 1–3. After the Appeals Council denied Ms. Hargrove’s request for review, R. 1–3, the ALJ’s decision became the final decision of the Commissioner and subject to district court review. On April 4, 2023, Ms.

Hargrove sought this court’s review of the ALJ’s decision. See Doc. 1. II. The ALJ’s Decision

1 The undersigned acknowledges the discrepancy between the parties’ use of Crohn’s disease versus ulcerative colitis to describe Ms. Hargrove’s medical condition. The undersigned uses “ulcerative colitis” to refer to Ms. Hargrove’s condition. See Doc. 13 at 6 n.3; Doc. 14 at 1. The Act establishes a five-step test for the ALJ to determine disability. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920. First, the ALJ must determine whether the claimant is engaging

in “substantial gainful activity.” 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(i). “Substantial work activity is work activity that involves doing significant physical or mental activities.” 20 C.F.R. § 416.972(a). “Gainful work activity” is work that is done “for pay or

profit.” 20 C.F.R. § 416.972(b). If the ALJ finds that the claimant engages in “substantial gainful activity,” then the claimant cannot claim disability. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(b). Second, the ALJ must determine whether the claimant has a medically determinable impairment or a combination of medical impairments that significantly

limits the claimant’s ability to perform basic work activities. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(ii), (c). Absent such impairment, the claimant may not claim disability. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(ii), (c). Third, the ALJ must determine whether

the claimant’s impairment meets or medically equals the criteria of an impairment listed in 20 C.F.R. § 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 416.920(d), 416.925, 416.926. If such criteria are met, the claimant is declared disabled. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(iii).

If the claimant does not fulfill the requirements necessary to be declared disabled under the third step, the ALJ still may find disability under the next two steps of the analysis. The ALJ must first determine the claimant’s residual functional

capacity, which refers to the claimant’s ability to work despite her impairments. 20 C.F.R. §§ 416.920(e), 416.945. In the fourth step, the ALJ determines whether the claimant has the residual functional capacity to perform past relevant work. 20

C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(iv). If the ALJ determines that the claimant is capable of performing past relevant work, then the claimant is deemed not disabled. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(iv). If the ALJ finds the claimant unable to perform past relevant

work, then the analysis proceeds to the fifth and final step. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(v). In this step, the ALJ must determine whether the claimant is able to perform any other work commensurate with her residual functional capacity, age, education, and work experience. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(g)(1). Here, the burden of

proof shifts from the claimant to the Commissioner to prove the existence, in significant numbers, of jobs in the national economy that the claimant can do given her residual functional capacity, age, education, and work experience. 20 C.F.R. §

416.920(g)(1), 416.960(c). The ALJ determined that Ms. Hargrove had not engaged in substantial gainful activity since her application date. R. 19. The ALJ decided that Ms. Hargrove had the following severe impairments: Crohn’s disease and major depressive disorder.

R. 19. The ALJ found that Ms. Hargrove’s pulmonary nodule was “nonsevere” because “[t]here is no evidence of any symptoms related to this finding.” R. 19. Overall, the ALJ determined that Ms. Hargrove did not have “an impairment or combination of impairments that meets or medically equals the severity of one of the listed impairments” to support a finding of disability. R. 19.

The ALJ found that Ms. Hargrove had the “residual functional capacity to perform sedentary work” with certain limitations. R. 21. The ALJ determined that Ms. Hargrove may: frequently climb ramps and stairs, stoop, and kneel; occasionally

crawl; and be exposed occasionally to full body vibration. R. 21. The ALJ also determined that Ms. Hargrove must not: climb ladders, ropes, or scaffolds; be exposed to hazards such as unprotected heights and hazardous machinery. R. 21. The ALJ also determined that Ms. Hargrove: can understand, remember, and carry

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