Jarrett v. Celebrezze

233 F. Supp. 282, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7374
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. South Carolina
DecidedSeptember 12, 1964
DocketCiv. A. No. 4332
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 233 F. Supp. 282 (Jarrett v. Celebrezze) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jarrett v. Celebrezze, 233 F. Supp. 282, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7374 (southcarolinawd 1964).

Opinion

HEMPHILL, District Judge.

Plaintiff asks Court review of decision of the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare denying plaintiff social security benefits. Authority is found in Title 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). The final decision of the Secretary, rendered by a hearing examiner January 18, 1963, stated a finding that plaintiff had not established disability within the intent of the Act. Further finding was that she did not show disability beginning on or before December 1, 1960 sufficient to entitle her to monthly disability insurance benefits under Section 223 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.A. § 423), and on or before December 16, 1960, for the establishment of a period of disability under § 216 (i) of the Act (42 U.S.C.A. § 416(i)).1

“Disability” is defined in both § 216 (i) (42 U.S.C.A. § 416(i)) (disability freeze) and § 223 (42 U.S.C.A. § 423) (monthly disability benefits) as:

" * * * inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or to be of long-continued and indefinite duration.”

The burden of proving disability is upon the plaintiff. Bradey v. Ribi-[284]*284coff, 298 F.2d 855 (4th Cir. 1962) cert. denied 370 U.S. 951, 82 S.Ct. 1601, 8 L.Ed.2d 817. Sections 216 (i) (1) and 223(c) (2) (42 U.S.C.A. §§ 416(i) (1) and 423(c) (2) provide in identical terms:

“An individual shall not be considered to be under a disability unless he furnishes such proof of the existence thereof as may be required.”

In Underwood v. Ribicoff, 298 F.2d 850 (4th Cir. 1962), the Court stated that in ascertaining the ultimate issue, ability or inability to engage in gainful employment, four elements of proof are important:

(1) The objective clinical findings of treating or examining physicians divorced from expert judgments or medical opinion as to their significance ;
(2) The diagnoses and expert medical opinion of the physicians “on the subsidiary questions of fact”;
(3) Subjective evidence of pain and disability testified to by plaintiff and lay witnesses; and
(4) Plaintiff’s educational background, work history, and age.

The Court, however, pointed out further that the first three elements alone would not conclusively determine statutory disability. Even severe physical limitation must be related to the plaintiff’s work history and background. Underwood v. Ribicoff, supra, at 852. To the same effect, see the later case of Pearman v. Ribicoff, 307 F.2d 573 (4th Cir. 1962). Inability to perform a particular job is not inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity. Gotshaw v. Ribicoff, 307 F.2d 840, 845 (4th Cir. 1962). On the other hand, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, on the same day the Underwood case was decided, held in Bradey v. Ribicoff, supra, that where the plaintiff has failed to establish an ailment that disabled her within the terms of the statute, it is not necessary to consider her work history, education, background or age.

Section 404.1502(g) of Social Security Administration Regulation No. 4 (20 C.F.R. 404.1502(g)) provides that:

“An individual will be deemed not under a disability if, with reasonable effort and safety to himself, the impairment can be diminished to the extent that the individual will not be prevented by the impairment from engaging in any substantial gainful activity.”

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has held that an impairment which is remediable cannot qualify as one of long continued and indefinite duration. Allison v. Ribicoff, 307 F.2d 379 (4th Cir. 1962). Bradey v. Ribicoff, supra.

The factors to be considered in determining disability due to functional mental disorders are set forth in § 404.1519 (e) (2) of Social Security Administration Regulation No. 4 (20 C.F.R. 404.1519(c) (2)) which provides as follows:

“Functional mental disorders (psychoses, psychoneuroses, personality disorders). The mere presence of psychotic or psychoneurotic symptoms and signs is not necessarily incompatible with the ability to perform substantial gainful work. Consideration is given to whether evidence shows regression or deterioration of the individual’s intellectual, behavioral or emotional reactions and whether the defects so impair the effectiveness and predictability of the individual’s behavior so as to be incompatible with occupational activity. Some of these disorders frequently respond adequately to treatment. Spontaneous remissions may also occur.
“(i) Psychoses. In psychoses, the symptoms reflect a break with reality and hospitalization may be necessary. Actual symptoms and persistence of the condition, length of any hospitalization and response to therapy are considered in determining the effect of these disorders.
[285]*285“(ii) Psychoneuroses. In determining the effect of psychoneuroses, consideration is given to whether the psychoneurosis has resulted in severe social, personal and occupational regression or confinement to a mental hospital and whether it persists despite appropriate treatment. The manifestations of tension, anxiety, depression or psycho-physiological disturbances, behavioral disturbances, hysterical reactions or obsessive compulsive patterns should be carefully described. An adequate psychiatric examination is generally necessary.
“(iii) Personality disorders. Personality disorders are characterized by patterns of socially unacceptable behavior, such as chronic alcoholism, sexual deviation and drug addiction. In the absence of an associated severe psychoneurosis or psychosis, a personality disorder does not in itself result in inability to engage in substantial gainful activity. A person confined in a correctional institution because of antisocial behavior will not be considered disabled unless he has other severe impairments which would preclude any substantial gainful activity if he had not been so confined.”

The determination of “disability” under the Social Security Act is an administrative decision. Section 205(g) of the Act (42 U.S.C.A. § 405(g)). Laird v. Ribicoff, 207 F.Supp. 668 (W.D. S.C.1962). This principle has been recognized in Underwood v. Ribicoff, supra, 298 F.2d at 851, and approved in Gotshaw v. Ribicoff, 307 F.2d 840, 844 (4th Cir. 1962):

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Related

Morgan v. Gardner
264 F. Supp. 576 (S.D. Mississippi, 1967)
Smith v. Gardner
253 F. Supp. 991 (D. South Carolina, 1966)
Causby v. Celebrezze
244 F. Supp. 274 (W.D. South Carolina, 1965)
Rutledge v. Celebrezze
240 F. Supp. 474 (W.D. South Carolina, 1965)
Drafts v. Celebrezze
240 F. Supp. 535 (E.D. South Carolina, 1965)

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Bluebook (online)
233 F. Supp. 282, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7374, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jarrett-v-celebrezze-southcarolinawd-1964.