Harnisher v. Apfel

40 F. Supp. 2d 121, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2863, 1999 WL 137626
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 3, 1999
DocketNo. 97-CV-5883 (JS)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 40 F. Supp. 2d 121 (Harnisher v. Apfel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harnisher v. Apfel, 40 F. Supp. 2d 121, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2863, 1999 WL 137626 (E.D.N.Y. 1999).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

SEYBERT, District Judge.

Plaintiff John Harnisher (“Harnisher” or “plaintiff’) brings this action pursuant to [123]*12342 U.S.C. § 405(g). Harnisher seeks review of the Commissioner of Social Security’s final determination that he is not disabled, a decision which denied Harnisher disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act (“the Act”). Plaintiff alleges that Administrative Law Judge Sol Wieselthier (“ALJ”) failed to give proper consideration to plaintiffs treating sources and failed to support with substantial evidence his decision that plaintiff was not disabled. Pending before the Court are the parties’ cross-motions for judgment on the pleadings pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(c). For the reasons detailed below, the plaintiffs motion is granted, the defendant’s motion is denied, and the case is remanded to the ALJ solely for the purpose of the calculation of benefits.

BACKGROUND

1. Procedural History

Plaintiff applied for disability insurance benefits on October 8, 1992. R. 40-43.2 The application was denied initially and then denied again on reconsideration. R. 44, 53-56, 58-60. After a hearing on December 1, 1993, ALJ Wieselthier determined that plaintiff was not disabled. R. 13-22, 157-93. The Appeals Council denied plaintiffs request for review. R. 4-5. Plaintiff then commenced a civil action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, which was assigned case number 94-CV-5509. Upon review of the ALJ’s first decision, this Court found that it was not supported by substantial evidence in the record. Furthermore, the Court held that the ALJ had failed to give proper consideration to the evaluation of the treating physician Dr. Shebairo and the medical opinion of Dr. Sultan. This case was then remanded to the ALJ with specific instructions to evaluate the medical evidence and re-consider the plaintiffs subjective complaints of pain.

Upon remand, a hearing was held before ALJ Wieselthier on December 18, 1996. R. 221-77. On April 23, 1997, the ALJ issued his decision that the plaintiff, was not disabled because he could perform sedentary work. R. 203-13. Plaintiff requested that the Appeals Council review the ALJ’s decision, but the council declined review in August 1997. R. 194-95. Plaintiff then sought review of the ALJ’s second decision in this Court, by filing the present complaint.

II. Factual History

Harnisher is a forty-eight year old man who suffers from pain in his lower back and has an acute weakness in his right knee which leads to its instability and localized pain. Plaintiff attended school to the second year of college, in 1985, but did not complete the prograna. He joined the New York City Fire Department (N.Y.F.D.) in 1970 and served for almost twenty-one years, until an injury forced his retirement. R. 41,118-119,142.

Plaintiff was a lieutenant in charge of a truck rescue company, and suffered several injuries in the course of his work as a firefighter. R. 68, 307. As a lieutenant, Harnisher would usually direct the firefighting, which would require him to lift over fifty pounds frequently, and over one hundred pounds at any given time. His first injury was a broken kneecap in 1974 or 1975, early in his career. R. 190. In 1989, plaintiff suffered an injury to his back when he fell off a loading platform while fighting a fire. R. 165-66, 247-48. The accident put him out of work temporarily, but eventually he was able to recover and resume firefighting. However, three months after resuming his firefighting work, in September 1990, plaintiff was injured once again when searching an apartment during a fire. R. 248. A large clothes dresser and shelf fell on his back and knee. R. 248. In March 1991, the N.Y.F.D. retired him as a result of the on-the-job injuries to his right knee and back. R. 120-123, 166-67, 173-74, 234. Plaintiff [124]*124now claims that he is permanently disabled.

III. Plaintiffs Medical History

Harnisher has been treated by many doctors and specialists over the years. An MRI of plaintiffs lumbar spine taken in 1989 showed a bulge at L3-L4 vertebra. R. 86. A January 1990 CAT scan of plaintiffs lumbar spine revealed several abnormalities, such as a bulging of the L4-5 vertebrae and narrowing of the central spinal canal. R. 112. In June 1991, Joseph F. Giattini, M.D.,3 examined plaintiff on behalf of the N.Y.F.D.R. 126-27. He found that Harnisher suffered left lumbo sacral spine stiffness, difficulty bending to the right, and meralgia paresthetica. As a result of the tear of the meniscus, Dr. Giattini concluded that plaintiff was unfit for duty. R. 126-127.

After the second accident, involving the dresser, Harnisher required extensive medical care. He underwent months of physical therapy. The N.Y.F.D. referred Harnisher to Dr. Raymond Shebairo, an orthopedic surgeon. R. 248-249. Dr. Shebairo began treating Harnisher in October 1990 for lumbar radiculopathy and right knee torn meniscus. R. 134; see also R. 83-4, 133-35.4 Dr. Shebairo concluded that Harnisher would require ar-thoscopic surgery, and that Harnisher was permanently and totally disabled, stating that “[i]n my opinion, he cannot return to the duties of a fireman or any other occupation.” R. 132, 84.

In 1993, Harnisher’s low back and right knee pain and disability continued and Dr. Shebairo issued a reevaluation report. He found that plaintiffs condition had worsened and concluded that plaintiff was disabled since his accident on September 23, 1990. R. 144. Dr. Shebairo assessed plaintiffs residual functional capacity (“RFC”)5 as follows: In an eight-hour day, his ability to sit was less than an hour, and his ability to stand/walk was limited to one hour. R. 145.

In March 1993, Dr. Mark Thomas performed a consultative examination for the Commissioner. R. 89-92. Plaintiffs gait was unremarkable, and he was able to heel walk. R. 90. Harnisher was unable to toe walk, crouch or stoop due to right knee pain. The range of motion of plaintiffs trunk was limited, and there was tenderness to touch in the lower vertebrae. X-rays showed narrowing of the L5-S1 vertebral space. R. 92. Dr. Thomas concluded that Harnisher suffered from chronic low back pain, lumbar radiculopathy, and right knee derangement. R. 91.

On November 11, 1993, Dr. Leon Sultan examined plaintiff at the request of his attorney. R. 137-39. The examination evaluated plaintiffs gait, lower back, and right knee. R. 138. Dr. Sultan’s diagnosis was that plaintiff suffered low grade lumbar radiculitis and a torn medial meniscus of the right knee, and that he was prevented from working as a fireman and “any sedentary work activity.” R. 138. Dr. Sultan’s conclusion was that the nature of the spinal disease was such that it would restrict his daily activities and increase in intensity as he ages. R. 138-39. Dr. Sultan also reported that Harnisher resisted surgery because there was no guarantee it would improve his condition. R. 138-39. Dr. Sultan stated that Harnisher had the residual functional capacity to stand or walk only one to two hours in an eight [125]

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Bluebook (online)
40 F. Supp. 2d 121, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2863, 1999 WL 137626, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harnisher-v-apfel-nyed-1999.