Hase v. Colvin

207 F. Supp. 3d 1174, 2016 WL 5107032, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 127209
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedSeptember 19, 2016
Docket6:15-CV-01314-BR
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 207 F. Supp. 3d 1174 (Hase v. Colvin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hase v. Colvin, 207 F. Supp. 3d 1174, 2016 WL 5107032, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 127209 (D. Or. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

ANNA J. BROWN, United States District Judge

Plaintiff Ronald P. Hase, Jr., seeks judicial review of a final decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) in which she denied Plaintiffs application for Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) under Title II of the Social Security Act. This Court has jurisdiction to review the Commissioner’s final decision pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).

For the reasons that follow, the Court REVERSES the decision of the Commissioner and REMANDS this matter pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) for the immediate calculation and award of benefits.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

Plaintiff filed an application for DIB on September 19, 2011, alleging a disability onset date of March 3, 2010. Tr. 147.1 The application was denied initially and on reconsideration. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) held a hearing on February 18,2014. Tr. 34-61. At the hearing Plaintiff was represented by a “non-attorney representative.” Plaintiff and a vocational expert (VE) testified at the hearing.

The ALJ issued a decision on March 21, 2014, in which he found Plaintiff is not disabled and, therefore, is not entitled to benefits. Tr. 16-29. Pursuant to 20 C.F.R. § 404.984(d), that decision became the final decision of the Commissioner on May 13, 2015, when the Appeals Council denied Plaintiffs request for review. Tr. 8-11. See Sims v. Apfel, 530 U.S. 103, 106-07, 120 S.Ct. 2080, 147 L.Ed.2d 80 (2000).

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff was born August 17, 1974, and was 38 years old at the time of the hearing. Tr. 126. Plaintiff completed high school. Tr. 160. Plaintiff has past relevant work experience as a maintenance assistant. Tr. 23.

Plaintiff alleges disability due to migraine headaches, right-shoulder issues, and knee and back pain. Tr. 81.

Except when noted, Plaintiff does not challenge the ALJ’s summary of the medical evidence. After carefully reviewing the medical records, this Court adopts the ALJ’s summary of the medical evidence. See Tr. 20-22.

STANDARDS

The initial burden of proof rests on the claimant to establish disability. Molina v. Astrue, 674 F.3d 1104, 1110 (9th Cir. 2012). To meet this burden, a claimant must demonstrate his inability “to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which ... has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.” 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(A). The ALJ must develop the record when there is ambiguous evidence or when the record is inadequate to allow for proper evaluation of the evidence. McLeod v. Astrue, 640 F.3d 881, 885 (9th Cir. 2011)(quoting Mayes v. Massanari, 276 F.3d 453, 459-60 (9th Cir. 2001)).

The district court must affirm the Commissioner’s decision if it is based on proper legal standards and the findings are supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole. 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). See also Brewes v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec. [1178]*1178Admin., 682 F.3d 1157, 1161 (9th Cir. 2012). Substantial evidence is “relevant evidence that a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Molina, 674 F.3d at 1110-11 (quoting Valentine v. Comm’r Soc. Sec. Admin., 574 F.3d 685, 690 (9th Cir. 2009)). “It is more than a mere scintilla [of evidence] but less than a preponderance.” Id. (citing Valentine, 574 F.3d at 690).

The ALJ is responsible for determining credibility, resolving conflicts in the medical evidence, and resolving ambiguities. Vasquez v. Astrue, 572 F.3d 586, 591 (9th Cir. 2009). The court must weigh all of the evidence whether it supports or detracts from the Commissioner’s decision. Ryan v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec., 528 F.3d 1194, 1198 (9th Cir. 2008). Even when the evidence is susceptible to more than one rational interpretation, the court must uphold the Commissioner’s findings if they are supported by inferences reasonably drawn from the record. Ludwig v. Astrue, 681 F.3d 1047, 1051 (9th Cir. 2012). The court may not substitute its judgment for that of the Commissioner. Widmark v. Barnhart, 454 F.3d 1063, 1070 (9th Cir. 2006).

DISABILITY ANALYSIS

I. The Regulatory Sequential Evaluation

The Commissioner has developed a five-step sequential inquiry to determine whether a claimant is disabled within the meaning of the Act. Parra v. Astrue, 481 F.3d 742, 746 (9th Cir. 2007). See also 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520. Each step is potentially dispositive.

At Step One the claimant is not disabled if the Commissioner determines the claimant is engaged in substantial gainful activity. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a)(4)(I). See also Keyser v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec., 648 F.3d 721, 724 (9th Cir. 2011).

At Step Two the claimant is not disabled if the Commissioner determines the claimant does not have any medically severe impairment or combination of impairments. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1509, 404.1520(a)(4)(ii). See also Keyser, 648 F.3d at 724.

At Step Three the claimant is disabled if the Commissioner determines the claimant’s impairments meet or equal one of the listed impairments that the Commissioner acknowledges are so severe as to preclude substantial gainful activity. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a)(4)(iii). See also Keyser, 648 F.3d at 724. The criteria for the listed impairments, known as Listings, are enumerated in 20 C.F.R. part 404, subpart P, appendix 1 (Listed Impairments).

If the Commissioner proceeds beyond Step Three, she must assess the claimant’s residual functional capacity (RFC).

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Bluebook (online)
207 F. Supp. 3d 1174, 2016 WL 5107032, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 127209, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hase-v-colvin-ord-2016.