Hunter v. Chater

895 F. Supp. 1454, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10939, 1995 WL 461745
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedJuly 18, 1995
DocketCiv. A. 95-2037-GTV
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 895 F. Supp. 1454 (Hunter v. Chater) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hunter v. Chater, 895 F. Supp. 1454, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10939, 1995 WL 461745 (D. Kan. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

VAN BEBBER, Chief Judge.

This action is brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 405(g) and 1383(c)(3) for judicial review of the final decision of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (“Secretary”) denying plaintiffs applications for disability benefits under the Social Security Act (the “Act”). Plaintiff has filed a motion for judgment (Doc. 6), which seeks an order reversing the Secretary’s decision, while the defendant has filed a motion for an order affirming the Secretary’s decision (Doc. 9). 2 For the reasons set forth below, the decision of the Secretary is affirmed.

I. Procedural Background

This action involves two applications for benefits. On January 26, 1993, plaintiff filed an application for supplemental security income benefits under Title XVI of the Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1381 et seq. On January 27, 1993, plaintiff filed an application for disability benefits under Title II of the Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 201 et seq. Both applications were denied initially and on reconsideration.

On May 17, 1994, an administrative hearing at which plaintiff and his counsel were present was held before an administrative law judge (“ALJ”). On May 27, 1994, the ALJ rendered a decision in which he determined that plaintiff was not under a “disability” as defined by the Social Security Act. On November 18, 1994, the Appeals Council denied plaintiffs request for review of the *1457 ALJ’s decision. Thus, the ALJ’s decision stands as the final decision of the Secretary.

II. Facts

Following is a brief summary of the evidence available to the AL J and the testimony received at the hearing.

Plaintiff was born on April 25, 1946. He alleges that he has been disabled since May 1991 when a cement mixer fell on his right hand at work. Plaintiff had applied for disability benefits once previously, in January 1991. At that time he alleged disability due to lower back pain. The claim was denied and plaintiff did not appeal. He apparently returned to work and worked until May 1991 when he injured his right hand.

The medical evidence of record in this case dates back to 1987 when plaintiff was treated at the University of Kansas Medical Center for abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. He reported that he had been drinking for five days. He was hospitalized for four days and discharged with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, alcoholic gastritis, alcoholism, essential hypertension, and dehydration. Plaintiff was readmitted a few days later for chronic relapsing pancreatitis and was discharged to Valley Hope Hospital for detoxification.

In March 1988, plaintiff sought treatment at the Bethany Medical Center emergency room for lower back pain and occasional problems with his left knee after he was injured in an accident while driving a street cleaner. X-rays of the lumbar spine revealed minimal spondylosis of the lower thoracic and lower lumbar spine, and x-rays of the left knee revealed no abnormalities. He received additional treatment for back pain at the University of Kansas Medical Center. The treating physician diagnosed lumbar strain and lumbar spondylosis with no evidence of a neurologic lesion. In April 1988, the doctor reported that plaintiffs condition had improved but that he still experienced back pain.

In connection with his first application for disability benefits, plaintiff underwent a consultative examination performed by Larry Handlin, D.O., on March 23, 1991. Plaintiff complained of back pain which radiated down both legs and which was aggravated by coughing, sneezing, prolonged sitting, and prolonged standing. Dr. Handlin diagnosed lumbar arthralgia. He noted that plaintiff experienced pain in the back region with restricted range of motion and paraspinus muscle spasm.

From May to November 1991, plaintiff was treated at the Kansas City Orthopedic Clinic Inc., by L.F. Glaser, M.D., for a work-related injury which occurred on May 9, 1991, when a cement mixer fell on his right hand. He had suffered a laceration on his right middle finger which was cleansed and sutured. At visits during June and July, 1991, Dr. Glaser noted that plaintiffs finger was swollen and stiff, and that plaintiff had slight tenderness in the flexor pulley of the injured finger. Plaintiff received occupational therapy from June to October 1991. In September 1991, Dr. Glaser noted that plaintiff could make a reasonable fist for the first time, even though he did not have sustained grip strength. In October 1991, Dr. Glaser recorded that plaintiff was still experiencing pain in his right middle finger even thought the edema had gone down.

Jann Christian, OTR, an occupational therapist wrote on November 6, 1991, that plaintiff was reporting intensified pain radiating from the middle finger up the arm to the elbow and shoulder when the middle finger is bent in any plane of motion. She wrote that plaintiff also reported pain at rest and appeared to be hypersensitive to touch and temperature. Ms. Christian opined that plaintiff could be exhibiting a reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Dr. Glaser wrote on November 18, 1991, that he concurred in this opinion and stated that additional therapy or treatment would not be very helpful.

In a letter dated January 13,1992, written in connection with plaintiffs workers compensation claim, Dr. Glaser summarized plaintiffs treatment. He noted that plaintiff had progressive impairment of function with restricted motion, chronic edema, and pain. Dr. Glaser diagnosed healed laceration on the volar aspect of the right middle finger, history of crushing injury to the right hand, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy to the right hand and forearm. He concluded that *1458 plaintiff had a permanent partial disability of the right upper extremity of 40 to 50 percent.

Plaintiff was evaluated in connection with his workers compensation claim by James S. Zarr, M.D., on February 14, 1992. Dr. Zarr noted that range of motion and grip strength were decreased in plaintiffs right hand. Dr. Zarr’s impression was persistent right middle finger pain with right upper extremity radiation to the level of the shoulder, possibly secondary to reflex sympathetic dystrophy. He recommended that plaintiff be treated at a pain clinic.

Plaintiff was treated at the Pain Management Center of Baptist Medical Center by Mark Chaplick, M.D., from February to May 1992. During that time plaintiff received a series of stellate ganglion injections which were somewhat effective in relieving the pain on a temporary basis. Dr. Chaplick examined plaintiff on April 28, 1992, and reported that plaintiff had some decreased range of motion of the cervical spine on lateral rotation and some tenderness in the right neck where multiple stellate ganglion injections were made. He also reported that plaintiff was intolerant to prednisone and was taking only Tylenol. Dr.

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Bluebook (online)
895 F. Supp. 1454, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10939, 1995 WL 461745, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hunter-v-chater-ksd-1995.