Minney v. Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare

439 F. Supp. 706, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13196
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Arkansas
DecidedOctober 31, 1977
DocketNo. 77-2014
StatusPublished

This text of 439 F. Supp. 706 (Minney v. Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Minney v. Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare, 439 F. Supp. 706, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13196 (W.D. Ark. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION

JOHN E. MILLER, Senior District Judge.

On May 14, 1975 plaintiff, Vernon G. Minney, filed an application for a period of [707]*707disability and for disability insurance benefits in which he alleged that he became unable to work on January 8, 1975. The application was denied initially on June 18, 1975 by the Bureau of Disability Insurance Division of Initial Claims. Request for reconsideration filed August 28, 1975 was denied on September 18, 1975. On May 18, 1976 plaintiff requested a hearing before Administrative Law Judge, which hearing was held June 16, 1976. At the conclusion of the hearing the Administrative Law Judge filed his opinion. In his opinion, the Administrative Law Judge stated:

“The medical evidence contained in the record shows that the claimant has a history of having sustained an injury to his right foot in an automobile accident in Missouri in 1962. Since that time he has had operative procedures carried out, one was a triple arthrodesis and then he developed osteomyelitis. This procedure was done at the Hines Hospital in Chicago. Later on in Los Angeles, he had an arthrodesis of his right ankle carried out. In late 1974 he had an arthrodesis of the first coneiform bone with the first metatarsal. The claimant was walking with a mildly elevated right shoe with an ankle brace without motion being present and as of December 15, 1975, he was still in a surgical boot. The diagnosis as of December 15, 1975 was status postoperative ankle fusion with triple arthrodesis of the right foot. There was a mild valgus alignment of the foot. Osteomyelitis has been present in the past and it appeared to be relatively quiescent as of December 1975. There was found to be some compensatory shortening of the right lower extremity, secondary to the arthrodeses that have been carried out. The medical evidence further indicates that there is a loss of normal function and heel-toe gait pattern, right ankle and foot. Also, the medical evidence establishes a traumatic enucleation of the left eye.”

On June 21, 1976 plaintiff filed his request for review of the hearing decision and order.

On January 3, 1977, the Appeals Council advised plaintiff that in its opinion the hearing decision is correct. “Further action by the Council would not, therefore, result in any change which would benefit you. Accordingly, the hearing decision stands as the final decision of the Secretary in this case.”

On January 21, 1977, plaintiff filed complaint “for special judicial review of administrative determination of Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (and) remand of the case to the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare for further action by the Secretary”.

On January 31, 1977, the plaintiff filed his motion to remand and brief in support thereof.

On May 24, 1977 defendant filed his answer to the complaint.

On June 1, 1977 plaintiff filed a motion for order summarily remanding the case to the defendant for further administrative consideration and action.

On July 8, 1977 the defendant filed its motion for summary judgment.

The court has jurisdiction of the action pursuant to Section 205(g) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C.A., Section 405(g). The applicable section of the statute of the section provides:

“ * * * The court shall have power to enter, upon the pleadings and transcript of the record, a judgment affirming, modifying, or reversing the decision of the Secretary, with or without remanding the cause for a rehearing. The findings of the Secretary as to any fact, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive, * * * ”

The Appeals Council did not consider the severity or effect of the physical condition of the plaintiff, and disregarded the ultimate effect of the injuries of which plaintiff suffers, which justify the remand of the case.

On Page 20 of the transcript, the Administrative Law Judge said:

“Although the claimant has the residuals of the injuries described in the preceding [708]*708paragraphs, the medical evidence reveals no postoperative complications. He has been fitted with a walking brace and a new eye prosthesis. Apparently, the claimant has recovered and progressed to the point where he is no longer under a disability although he was under a severe impairment but thé same did not last for 12 consecutive months. Although the claimant does no doubt encounter some pain and physical ailments as the testimony shows, such impairments do not reach the level of severity so as to prevent the claimant from engaging in work for which the claimant is obviously qualified, and has performed in the past. The claimant’s allegation of pain and discomfort has been considered and evaluated because pain may be a disabling affliction. However, based on the evidence contained in this record, it is reasonable to conclude and find that the claimant’s subjective complaints of pain fail to overcome the massive current negative medical findings.”

It is not disputed that his illness and injuries have finally prevented him from working after January 8, 1975.

“I got where I couldn’t stand to put weight on my foot and I had to have surgery on it again. I can see O.K. I just don’t have any depth perception. I have had three bone graphs on my foot prior to this last surgery. They have scraped the bone several times. I has osteomyelitis and it caused a lot of problems prior to this date.”

He also stated that the Veteran’s Administration had all of his medical records and in response to a question whether the doctor had told him to restrict his activities in any way he answered:

“Veteran’s Administration doctors told me not to walk on it anymore than I absolutely had to. Dr. Stayer told me I probably wouldn’t be able to walk on it anymore and if this last surgery was not successful it would be a possible amputation on my right foot.
“I am now at home. I can’t get out and mow the yard or take care of chores around the house that I need to do because of my foot. I like to fish but I can’t do that anymore either. Almost no social activities. I can feed cattle and bathe myself without assistance.
“I have usually worked in farm labor, irrigation work and driving tractors or whatever other work came up on the farm that needed to be done.”

As stated by the plaintiff, the Veteran’s Administration obtained all of his medical records when he filed claim for veteran’s benefits. On January 16, 1976, the adjudication officer of the Veteran’s Regional Office, Little Rock, Arkansas, wrote plaintiff as follows:

“You have been assigned 100 percent disability rating effective September 1, 1975, because your service connected disabilities prevent you from following a gainful occupation.”

On May 14, 1975, the defendant in its disability determination and transmittal stated a diagnosis as follows:

(1) residuals of old multiple fractures right ankle and foot with surgical fusion ankle and triple arthrodesis foot.
(2) painful partial stiffening navicular cuneiform joint right foot.
(3) chronic enucleation left eye.

In a note attached to such disability determination the following appears:

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Related

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166 F. Supp. 390 (W.D. Arkansas, 1958)
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331 F. Supp. 545 (D. Puerto Rico, 1971)
Wesley v. Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare
385 F. Supp. 863 (District of Columbia, 1974)
Epperly v. Richardson
349 F. Supp. 56 (W.D. Virginia, 1972)
Blanscet v. Ribicoff
201 F. Supp. 257 (W.D. Arkansas, 1962)
Brown v. Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare
403 F. Supp. 938 (E.D. Wisconsin, 1975)
Lincovich v. Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare
403 F. Supp. 1307 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1975)
Story v. Richardson
356 F. Supp. 1182 (E.D. Tennessee, 1972)
Stewart v. Cohen
309 F. Supp. 949 (E.D. New York, 1970)
Goforth v. Cohen
290 F. Supp. 590 (D. South Carolina, 1968)
Pasquale v. Cohen
296 F. Supp. 1088 (D. Rhode Island, 1969)
Collins v. Finch
323 F. Supp. 1262 (E.D. Tennessee, 1970)
Martin v. Richardson
325 F. Supp. 686 (W.D. Virginia, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
439 F. Supp. 706, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13196, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/minney-v-secretary-of-health-education-welfare-arwd-1977.