Hector Muro Carrillo v. Kilolo Kijakazi

CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedNovember 30, 2022
Docket5:22-cv-00188
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Hector Muro Carrillo v. Kilolo Kijakazi, (C.D. Cal. 2022).

Opinion

Case 5:22-cv-00188-RAO Document 24 Filed 11/30/22 Page 1 of 12 Page ID #:3482

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 HECTOR M. C., Case No. EDCV 22-00188-RAO

12 Plaintiff,

13 v. MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER 14 KILOLO KIJAKAZI, Acting Commissioner of Social 15 Security, Defendant. 16 17 I. INTRODUCTION 18 Plaintiff Hector M. C.1 (“Plaintiff”) challenges the Commissioner’s denial of 19 his Social Security Disability (“SSD”) benefits under Title II of the Social Security 20 Act. For the reasons stated below, the Commissioner’s decision is AFFIRMED. 21 II. SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS 22 On July 26, 2012, Plaintiff initiated an application for SSD benefits alleging a 23 disability onset date of August 11, 2003. (Administrative Record (“AR”) 209.) The 24 Commissioner denied the claim by initial determination on December 28, 2012, and 25

26 1 Plaintiff’s name is partially redacted in compliance with Federal Rule of Civil

27 Procedure 5.2(c)(2)(B) and the recommendation of the Committee on Court Administration and Case Management of the Judicial Conference of the United 28 States. Case 5:22-cv-00188-RAO Document 24 Filed 11/30/22 Page 2 of 12 Page ID #:3483

1 upon reconsideration on June 11, 2013. (AR 78-85, 87-95.) Plaintiff requested a 2 hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) on June 21, 2013. (AR 112- 3 13.) Hearings were held on February 2, 2014, and June 27, 2014. (AR 28-77.) The 4 ALJ issued an unfavorable decision September 26, 2014. (AR 9-27.) The ALJ’s 5 decision became the Commissioner’s final decision on March 3, 2016, when the 6 Appeals Council denied Plaintiff’s request for review. (AR 1-6.) Plaintiff filed a 7 civil action in this Court on May 10, 2016. (AR 594-98.) The Court issued an order 8 remanding the matter for further proceedings pursuant to a stipulation of voluntary 9 remand. (AR 603-06.) On March 20, 2017, the Appeals Council issued an order 10 remanding the matter to the ALJ. (AR 619-20.) 11 On June 28, 2017, a second ALJ issued a second unfavorable decision. (AR 12 546-69.) Plaintiff filed a second civil action in this Court on September 8, 2017. (AR 13 817-18.) On March 1, 2018, this Court issued an order remanding the matter for 14 further administrative proceedings pursuant to a stipulation of voluntary remand. 15 (AR 850-54.) The Appeals Council subsequently issued an order remanding the case 16 to the ALJ. (AR 862-63.) 17 On January 30, 2019, a third hearing was held before a third ALJ. (AR 748- 18 92.) On March 13, 2019, the ALJ issued a third unfavorable decision. (AR 725-40.) 19 Plaintiff filed a third civil action in this Court on May 21, 2019. (AR 1808.) On 20 February 28, 2020, this Court issued an order reversing the third ALJ’s decision and 21 remanding the matter for further proceedings. (AR 1811-26.) In its order dated May 22 19, 2020, the Appeals Council vacated the previous final decision and remanded the 23 matter for further proceedings before an ALJ. (AR 1831.) 24 On September 9, 2021, a fourth hearing was held before an ALJ. (AR 1761- 25 805.) On October 26, 2021, the ALJ issued a fourth unfavorable decision. (AR 1732- 26 60.) On January 21, 2022, Plaintiff filed the instant action. (Dkt. No. 1.) 27 In reaching a fourth determination, the ALJ followed the familiar five-step 28 sequential evaluation process to assess whether Plaintiff was disabled under the

2 Case 5:22-cv-00188-RAO Document 24 Filed 11/30/22 Page 3 of 12 Page ID #:3484

1 Social Security Act. Lester v. Chater, 81 F.3d 821, 828 n.5 (9th Cir. 1995). At step 2 one, the ALJ found that Plaintiff did not engage in substantial gainful activity during 3 the period from his alleged onset date of August 10, 2003 through June 30, 2008, his 4 date last insured (“DLI”). (AR 1740.) At step two, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had 5 the severe impairments of degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine; carpal tunnel 6 syndrome in the upper right extremity, post-status surgery; and obesity. (AR 1741.) 7 At step three, the ALJ found that Plaintiff “did not have an impairment or 8 combination of impairments that met or medically equaled the severity of one of the 9 listed impairments in 20 [C.F.R] Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1 (20 [C.F.R.] 10 §§ 404.1520(d), 404.1525 and 404.1526).” (Id.) 11 Before proceeding to step four, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had the residual 12 functional capacity (“RFC”) to: 13 [P]erform light work . . . . Specifically, the [Plaintiff] could lift and/or carry ten pounds frequently, twenty pounds occasionally; he could stand 14 and/or walk in intervals of thirty minutes at a time for a total of two 15 hours out of an eight-hour workday; he could sit for one hour at a time for a total of six hours out of an eight hour workday; he could ambulate 16 on a level field but could not balance enough to walk on an uneven 17 surface; he could occasionally climb ramps and stairs; he could not climb ladders, ropes or scaffolds; he could occasionally operate foot 18 pedals with either foot; he could occasionally stoop and crouch; he could 19 not kneel or crawl; he was to avoid concentrated exposure to vibration and unprotected heights; he was to avoid all exposure to working around 20 moving machinery; and he was to avoid [the] use of handheld vibratory 21 tools with the right hand. 22 (AR 1742-43.) At step four, based on Plaintiff’s RFC and the vocational expert’s 23 testimony, the ALJ found that Plaintiff was unable to perform any past relevant work 24 through the DLI. (AR 1751.) At step five, considering Plaintiff’s age, education, 25 work experience, and residual functional capacity, the ALJ found that “there were 26 jobs that existed in significant numbers in the national economy that the claimant 27 could have performed.” (AR 1752.) Accordingly, the ALJ determined that Plaintiff 28

3 Case 5:22-cv-00188-RAO Document 24 Filed 11/30/22 Page 4 of 12 Page ID #:3485

1 had not been under a disability from the alleged onset date, August 10, 2003, through 2 the DLI, June 30, 2008. (Id.) 3 III. STANDARD OF REVIEW 4 Under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), a district court may review the Commissioner’s 5 decision to deny benefits. A court must affirm an ALJ’s findings of fact if they are 6 supported by substantial evidence, and if the proper legal standards were applied. 7 Mayes v. Massanari, 276 F.3d 453, 458-59 (9th Cir. 2001). “Substantial evidence . 8 . . is ‘more than a mere scintilla[,]’ . . . [which] means—and means only—‘such 9 relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a 10 conclusion.’” Biestek v. Berryhill, __ U.S. __, 139 S. Ct. 1148, 1154, 203 L. Ed.2d 11 504 (2019) (citations omitted); Revels v. Berryhill, 874 F.3d 648, 654 (9th Cir. 2017). 12 An ALJ can satisfy the substantial evidence requirement “by setting out a detailed 13 and thorough summary of the facts and conflicting clinical evidence, stating his 14 interpretation thereof, and making findings.” Reddick v. Chater, 157 F.3d 715, 725 15 (9th Cir. 1998) (citation omitted). 16 “[T]he Commissioner’s decision cannot be affirmed simply by isolating a 17 specific quantum of supporting evidence. Rather, a court must consider the record 18 as a whole, weighing both evidence that supports and evidence that detracts from the 19 Secretary’s conclusion.” Aukland v. Massanari, 257 F.3d 1033, 1035 (9th Cir. 2001) 20 (citations and internal quotations omitted).

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Bluebook (online)
Hector Muro Carrillo v. Kilolo Kijakazi, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hector-muro-carrillo-v-kilolo-kijakazi-cacd-2022.