MARSH v. SAUL

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Indiana
DecidedJanuary 12, 2021
Docket1:19-cv-02972
StatusUnknown

This text of MARSH v. SAUL (MARSH v. SAUL) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
MARSH v. SAUL, (S.D. Ind. 2021).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA INDIANAPOLIS DIVISION

BRANDI M.1, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) No. 1:19-cv-02972-JPH-DML ) ANDREW M. SAUL Commissioner of ) Social Security Administration, ) ) Defendant. )

ENTRY REVIEWING THE COMMISSIONER'S DECISION

Plaintiff Brandi M. seeks judicial review of the Social Security Administration's decision denying her petition for Disability Insurance Benefits and Supplemental Security Income. She argues that the ALJ's decision is unsupported by substantial evidence because the ALJ: (1) ignored evidence that supported Plaintiff's subjective symptoms when making a credibility determination; (2) ignored the possibility of her symptoms equaling a Listing and failed to hear evidence from a medical expert on the issue; and (3) failed to make a logical bridge between the evidence and the RFC and work ability determinations. See dkt. 7 at 3–4. For the reasons that follow, the decision is AFFIRMED.

1 To protect the privacy interests of claimants for Social Security benefits, consistent with the recommendation of the Court Administration and Case Management Committee of the Administrative Office of the United States courts, the Southern District of Indiana has opted to use only the first name and last initial of non- governmental parties in its Social Security judicial review opinions. I. Facts and Background Plaintiff was 32 years old at the alleged onset date of her disability. Dkt. 7 at 4. She has the equivalent of a high school degree and worked in the past as a department and assistant manager in retail and as a referral coordinator at a medical clinic. Dkt. 5-2 at 43–45. Since the alleged onset date, Plaintiff has been diagnosed with Chiari malformation, dkt. 5-9 at 9, trigeminal neuralgia and headaches with nausea, dkt. 5-9 at 53, depression, dkt. 5-11 at 27, and other ailments. She alleges that she is therefore "disabled within the

meaning of the Social Security Act." Dkt 1 at 2. Plaintiff applied for Disability Insurance Benefits and Supplemental Security Income in April 2015 with an alleged onset date of February 2014. Dkt 5-2 at 11. The initial claim was denied on March 25, 2016 and Plaintiff requested a hearing on March 31, 2016. Id. Administrative Law Judge Joel Fina held a video hearing in May 2018, and issued his written decision denying Plaintiff's claim on July 26, 2018. Id. Plaintiff appealed to the Appeals

Council, which denied review on in May 2019. Dkt. 5-2 at 2. Plaintiff brought this action asking the Court to review the denial of benefits under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) on July 18, 2019. Dkt. 1. In his decision, the ALJ followed the five-step sequential evaluation in 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a)(4) and concluded that Plaintiff was not disabled. Dkt. 5-2 at 13–24. Specifically, the ALJ found that: • At Step One, Plaintiff had not engaged in substantial gainful activity2 between the alleged onset date and the last date she was insured, December 31, 2017. Dkt. 5-2 at 13.

• At Step Two, she had "the following severe impairments: Chiari I malformation, status post decompression; history of trigeminal neuralgia; headaches; and major depressive disorder." Dkt. 5-2 at 13.

• At Step Three, she did not have an impairment or combination of impairments that met or medically equaled the severity of one of the listed impairments. Dkt. 5-2 at 13–14.

• After Step Three but before Step Four, she had the RFC "to perform sedentary work . . . except lifting/carrying 10 pounds occasionally and 5 pounds frequently." She could "stand/walk approximately 2 hours per 8-hour workday and sit approximately 6 hours." She could "never climb ladders, ropes, or scaffolds, kneel and crawl." She could "perform postural activities (i.e. climbing ramps/stairs, balancing, stooping, crouching) only on an occasional basis." She is limited "to frequent reaching, handling objects (gross manipulation), and fingering (fine manipulation)" with her right upper extremity. She needs to "avoid concentrated exposure to strobing/flashing lights and loud noise (such as which would be experienced in a factory setting)." She also needs "to avoid all exposure to unprotected heights and dangerous moving machinery." She is "limited to simple and routine tasks, in work performed at a variable pace, involving only end of day production requirements, and with no hurry or other periodic production quotas." She is also "limited to only occasional contact with the public in the work setting." Dkt. 5-2 at 16–17.

• At Step Four, Plaintiff "was unable to perform any past relevant work." Dkt. 5-2 at 22.

• At Step Five, considering Plaintiff's "age, education, work experience, and residual functional capacity, there were jobs in significant numbers in the national economy" that she could have performed. Dkt. 5-2 at 23.

2 Substantial gainful activity is defined as work activity that is both substantial (involving significant physical or mental activities) and gainful (usually done for pay or profit, whether or not a profit is realized). 20 C.F.R. § 404.1572(a). II. Applicable Law "The Social Security Act authorizes payment of disability insurance benefits . . . to individuals with disabilities." Barnhart v. Walton, 535 U.S. 212, 214 (2002). "The statutory definition of 'disability' has two parts." Id. at 217. First, it requires an inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity. Id. And second, it requires a physical or mental impairment that explains the inability and "has lasted or can be expected to last . . . not less than 12

months." Id. "The standard for disability claims under the Social Security Act is stringent." Williams-Overstreet v. Astrue, 364 F. App'x 271, 274 (7th Cir. 2010). "Even claimants with substantial impairments are not necessarily entitled to benefits, which are paid for by taxes, including taxes paid by those who work despite serious physical or mental impairments and for whom working is difficult and painful." Id. at 274. When an applicant seeks judicial review, the Court's role is limited to ensuring that the ALJ applied the correct legal standards and that substantial

evidence supports the ALJ's decision. Biestek v. Berryhill, 139 S. Ct. 1148, 1151 (2019); Barnett v. Barnhart, 381 F.3d 664, 668 (7th Cir. 2004). "Substantial evidence is such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion." Id. In evaluating the evidence, the Court gives the ALJ's credibility determinations "considerable deference," overturning them only if they are "patently wrong." Prochaska v. Barnhart, 454 F.3d 731, 738 (7th Cir. 2006). The ALJ must apply the five-step inquiry set forth in 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a)(4)(i)–(v), evaluating in sequence: (1) whether the claimant is currently [un]employed; (2) whether the claimant has a severe impairment; (3) whether the claimant's impairment meets or equals one of the impairments listed by the [Commissioner]; (4) whether the claimant can perform her past work; and (5) whether the claimant is capable of performing work in the national economy.

Clifford v.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Sullivan v. Zebley
493 U.S. 521 (Supreme Court, 1990)
Barnhart v. Walton
535 U.S. 212 (Supreme Court, 2002)
Barbara Castile v. Michael Astrue
617 F.3d 923 (Seventh Circuit, 2010)
Steven Arnold v. Jo Anne B. Barnhart
473 F.3d 816 (Seventh Circuit, 2007)
Overman v. Astrue
546 F.3d 456 (Seventh Circuit, 2008)
Villano v. Astrue
556 F.3d 558 (Seventh Circuit, 2009)
Willie Curvin v. Carolyn Colvin
778 F.3d 645 (Seventh Circuit, 2015)
Biestek v. Berryhill
587 U.S. 97 (Supreme Court, 2019)
Bettie Burmester v. Nancy Berryhill
920 F.3d 507 (Seventh Circuit, 2019)
Michelle Ford v. Andrew Saul
950 F.3d 1141 (Ninth Circuit, 2020)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
MARSH v. SAUL, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marsh-v-saul-insd-2021.