Jessica V. v. Frank Bisignano, Commissioner of Social Security

District Court, D. Nevada·Decided October 20, 2025·No. 2:24-cv-01947·Unknown

Opinion

Jessica V., Case No. 2:24-cv-01947-NJK

Plaintiff(s), ORDER v. [Docket No. 10] Frank Bisignano, Defendant(s). This case involves judicial review of administrative action by the Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner”) denying Plaintiff’s application for disability insurance benefits pursuant to Title II of the Social Security Act. Currently before the Court is Plaintiff’s opening brief seeking remand. Docket No. 10. The Commissioner filed a responsive brief in opposition. Docket No. 12. Plaintiff filed a reply. Docket No. 13. The parties consented to resolution of this matter by the undersigned magistrate judge. See Docket Nos. 3-4. A. Disability Evaluation Process The standard for determining disability is whether a social security claimant has an “inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected . . . to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.” 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(A); see also 42 U.S.C. § 1382c(3)(A). That determination is made by following a five-step sequential evaluation process. Bowen v. Yuckert, 482 U.S. 137, 140 (1987) (citing 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520, 416.920). The first step addresses whether the claimant is currently engaging in substantial gainful activity. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(b). The claimant must also meet insurance requirements. 20 C.F.R. § 404.130. The second step addresses whether the claimant has a medically determinable impairment that is severe or a combination of impairments that significantly limits basic work activities. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(c). The third step addresses whether the claimant’s impairments or combination of impairments meet or medically equal the criteria of an impairment listed in 20 C.F.R. Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(d), 404.1525, 404.1526. There is then a determination of the claimant’s residual functional capacity, which assesses the claimant’s ability to do physical and mental work-related activities. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(e). The fourth step addresses whether the claimant has the residual functional capacity to perform past relevant work. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(f). The fifth step addresses whether the claimant is able to do other work considering the residual functional capacity, age, education, and work experience. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(g). B. Judicial Review After exhausting the administrative process, a claimant may seek judicial review of a decision denying social security benefits. 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). The Court must uphold a decision denying benefits if the proper legal standard was applied and there is substantial evidence in the record as a whole to support the decision. Webb v. Barnhart, 433 F.3d 683, 686 (9th Cir. 2005). Substantial evidence is “more than a mere scintilla,” which equates to “such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Biestek v. Berryhill, 587 U.S. 97, 103 (2019). “[T]he threshold for such evidentiary sufficiency is not high.” Id. A. Procedural History On May 23, 2022, Plaintiff filed an application for disability benefits with an alleged onset date of March 23, 2022. See, e.g., Administrative Record (“A.R.”) 148-54. On August 25, 2022, Plaintiff’s application was denied initially. A.R. 80. On April 17, 2023, Plaintiff’s claim was denied on reconsideration. A.R. 90-94. On May 2, 2023, Plaintiff filed a request for a hearing before an administrative law judge. A.R. 94-96. On May 1, 2024, Plaintiff, Plaintiff’s representative, and a vocational expert appeared for a hearing before ALJ Bonnie Hannan. See A.R. 43-69. On May 25, 2024, the ALJ issued an unfavorable decision finding that Plaintiff had not been under a disability through the date of the decision. A.R. 15-38. On August 21, 2024, the ALJ’s decision became the final decision of the Commissioner when the Appeals Council denied Plaintiff’s request for review. A.R. 1-7. On October 18, 2024, Plaintiff commenced this suit for judicial review. Docket No. 1. B. The Decision Below The ALJ’s decision followed the five-step sequential evaluation process. A.R. 20-34. At step one, the ALJ found that Plaintiff met the insured status requirements and had not engaged in substantial gainful activity since the alleged onset date. A.R. 20. At step two, the ALJ found that Plaintiff has the following severe impairments: generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A.R. 20-22. At step three, the ALJ found that Plaintiff does not have an impairment or combination of impairments that meets or medically equals the severity of one of the listed impairments in 20 C.F.R. Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1. A.R. 22-26. The ALJ found that Plaintiff has the residual functional capacity to perform a full range of work at all exertional levels but with the following nonexertional limitations: the claimant is able to perform simple, routine, and repetitive tasks; is able to perform simple work- related decisions; is able to tolerate few changes in a routine work setting, defined as performing the same duties at the same station or location day to day; and can have occasional contact with supervisors, co-workers, and the public. A.R. 26-32. At step four, the ALJ found Plaintiff was unable to perform any past relevant work. A.R. 32. At step five, the ALJ found that jobs exist in significant numbers in the national economy that Plaintiff can perform based on her age, education, work experience, and residual functional capacity. A.R. 32-34. In doing so, the ALJ defined Plaintiff as a younger individual aged 18-49 with at least a high school education. A.R. 32. The ALJ found the transferability of job skills to be immaterial. A.R. 32. The ALJ considered Medical Vocational Rules, which provide a framework for finding Plaintiff not disabled, along with vocational expert testimony that an individual with the same residual functional capacity and vocational factors could perform work as an industrial cleaner, machine feeder, store laborer, marker, mail clerk, and housekeeping cleaner. A.R. 32-34. Based on all of these findings, the ALJ found Plaintiff not disabled since the alleged onset date. A.R. 34. Plaintiff argues on appeal that the residual functional capacity assessment lacks the support of substantial evidence. Plaintiff’s argument is predicated on the contentions that the ALJ improperly translated the medical record without a matching prior administrative medica

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Jessica V. v. Frank Bisignano, Commissioner of Social Security, (D. Nev. 2025).

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