McGee v. Weinberger

385 F. Supp. 1247, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11571
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Louisiana
DecidedDecember 16, 1974
DocketCiv. A. No. 74-48
StatusPublished

This text of 385 F. Supp. 1247 (McGee v. Weinberger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McGee v. Weinberger, 385 F. Supp. 1247, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11571 (M.D. La. 1974).

Opinion

E. GORDON WEST, District Judge:

This action is brought under Section 205(g) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), for judicial review of a decision by the Secretary denying claimant’s application for a period of disability, and for disability benefits, as provided by the Act. This case being appropriate for decision by summary judgment, it has been submitted on the record, including a transcript of the hearing together with the briefs of counsel.

The claimant, Mrs. Helen D. McGee, applied for disability benefits with the Bureau of Disability Insurance on January 18, 1973, due to a liver and kidney condition. This claim was denied on February 27, 1973, and a requested reconsideration of the denial of benefits, made on March. 13, 1973, was also denied by letter of June 29, 1973. Claimant then requested a de novo hearing before the administrative law judge of the Bureau of Hearings and Appeals, which was conducted on September 19, 1973. A decision was rendered on November 7, 1973 denying claimant’s request for a period of disability and disability benefits. The Appeals Council approved the decision of the examiner and, such approval constituting the Secretary’s final decision, this appeal followed.

We conclude that there was substantial evidence before the Secretary to support his decision denying relief to this plaintiff.

Our role on review merely is to determine whether there is substantial evidence to support the Secretary’s decision. Goodman v. Richardson, 448 F.2d 388 (CA 5 — 1971); and ". . . the findings of the Secretary as to any fact, if supported by substantial evi[1249]*1249dence, shall he conclusive . . . ” Richardson v. Perales, 402 U.S. 389, 91 S.Ct. 1420, 28 L.Ed.2d 842 (1971). Substantial evidence is “more than a scintilla, and must do more than create a suspicion of the existence of the fact to be established. ‘It means such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind [accepts] as adequate to support a conclusion,’ . and it must be enough to justify, if the trial were to a jury, a refusal to direct a verdict when the conclusion sought to be drawn from it is one of fact for a jury.” Breaux v. Finch, 421 F.2d 687 (CA 5 — 1970); Columbia LNG Corp. v. Federal Power Comm., 491 F.2d 651 (CA 5 — 1974).

The burden of proof in Social Security cases rests upon the plaintiff. Hart v. Finch, 440 F.2d 1340 (CA 5 — 1971). The issue here is whether there is substantial evidence in the record, considered as a whole, to support the conclusion that Mrs. McGee is not disabled as that term statutorily has been defined. The role of the Court in reviewing administrative rulings concerning social security benefits has been summarized recently in Rivas v. Weinberger, 475 F.2d 255 (CA 5 — 1973), and in Hemphill v. Weinberger, 483 F.2d 1137 (CA 5 — 1973). A detailed summary of the evidence in the record of this case is unnecessary to perform this function. However, we will briefly relate the salient facts relied upon by the hearing examiner for his decision.

Mrs. McGee’s chief complaints involve nerve problems (involutional melancholia), skin swelling (edema), and urological difficulties. She stopped work in November, 1971, as chief cook in a fraternity house due to hypertension and a “swollen heart.” Her hypertension has been diagnosed as “mild” by Dr. Hulon Lott in May, 1973, and her heart rhythm was regular, with no abnormalities existing. When Mrs. McGee first filed her claim for disability benefits with the Bureau of Disability Insurance in January, 1973, “liver and kidney” problems were her major complaints. Following hospitalization in January, 1973, in Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, Dr. J. Hatcher wrote in a discharge note that she suffered from a lower urinary tract infecbiotics for a 6-8 week period while bebiotics for a 6-8 week period while antiing observed as an out-patient, but that “there is no urological longterm disability.” This substantiated a finding of no disability resulting from urological ailments.

Mrs. McGee has a medical history of recurrent edema resulting in swelling of the face, neck, hands, and feet. This history dates back until October 2, 1970, as the medical evidence shows. However, when she stopped work in November, 1971, the chief reason was hypertension; and when she first sought disability benefits, her difficulties were urological in nature. Not until the hearing before the administrative law judge did Mrs. McGee allege that her swelling problems were so severe as to be disabling. Since she did work for at least a year with this condition prior to her stopping work (for other reasons), we think that the administrative law judge had substantial evidence, including competent medical evidence, to conclude that this condition did not result in a disability.

In connection with plaintiff’s allegation that she is suffering from involutional melancholia, she introduced the report of the Baton Rouge Mental Health Center dated August 29, 1973, which states:

“Mrs. McGee’s only admission to this Center was on 4-17-72. Her diagnosis is involuntional Melancholia. Prognosis is fair. Presently, Mrs. McGee is being seen on a monthly basis for medication regulation. Prescribed medications are Sinequan, 50 mg. one tablet a. c. and Thorazine, 100 mg. one tablet h. s. Chemotherapy is to continue indefinitely.”

Under the heading “Most Current Status” the Baton Rouge Mental Health Center’s report stated:

“Our last contact with Mrs. McGee was on 7-26-73. On that date our [1250]*1250staff physician stated, ‘Helen has not been feeling too well. She is more depressed, nervous, and doesn’t sleep well.’ ”

That is all the evidence presented by the plaintiff in connection with her alleged disability resulting from involutional melancholia.

The administrative law judge considered this evidence and concluded that it did not warrant a finding of disability. He also concluded that all of the plaintiff’s claimed impairments, considered collectively, did not warrant such a finding.

After plaintiff’s claim for disability benefits was denied, she requested a psychiatric examination by an independent physician at the Government’s expense. When this was not granted, she complained, and now complains, that to refuse such an examination is a “denial of due process under the 5th Amendment.” There is no constitutional requirement that such an examination be tendered to the plaintiff. The Government does not have to prove the plaintiff’s case. The plaintiff must carry the burden of proving her claim to disability benefits. Apparently the plaintiff misconstrues the purpose of 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527.

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385 F. Supp. 1247, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11571, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgee-v-weinberger-lamd-1974.