Moon v. Kijakazi

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Washington
DecidedJune 29, 2022
Docket1:21-cv-03063
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Moon v. Kijakazi, (E.D. Wash. 2022).

Opinion

2 FILED IN THE EASTERU N. S D. I SD TI RS IT CR TI C OT F C WO AU SR HT I NGTON 3 Jun 29, 2022

4 SEAN F. MCAVOY, CLERK

5 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 6

7 MINERVA M., NO: 1:21-CV-03063-LRS 8 Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING, IN PART, 9 v. PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT 10 KILOLO KIJAKAZI, ACTING COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL 11 SECURITY,

12 Defendant. 13

14 BEFORE THE COURT are the parties’ cross motions for summary 15 judgment. ECF Nos. 16, 22. This matter was submitted for consideration without 16 oral argument. Plaintiff is represented by Attorney D. James Tree. Defendant is 17 represented by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey E. Staples. The 18 Court has reviewed the administrative record, the parties’ completed briefing, and 19 is fully informed. For the reasons discussed below, the Court GRANTS, in part, 20 Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 16, DENIES Defendant’s 21 Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 22, and REMANDS the case back to the 1 JURISDICTION 2 Plaintiff Minerva M.1 protectively filed an application for Supplemental 3 Security Income (SSI) on June 10, 2014, Tr. 140, alleging an onset date of June 1, 4 2014, Tr. 238, due to back pain/degenerative disc disease, leg pain, diabetes,

5 hypertension, depression/anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 6 agoraphobia, stomach cysts, bilateral foot neuropathy, and insomnia, Tr. 294. 7 Plaintiff’s application was denied initially, Tr. 147-50, and upon reconsideration,

8 Tr. 164-66. A hearing before Administrative Law Judge Glen Meyers (“ALJ”) 9 was conducted on July 14, 2016. Tr. 31-90. Plaintiff was represented by an 10 attorney and testified at the hearing. Id. The ALJ also took the testimony of 11 vocational expert Ronnie Lenore. Id. The ALJ entered an unfavorable decision on

12 May 10, 2017. Tr. 13-22. The Appeals Council denied review on June 8, 2018. 13 Tr. 1-6. Therefore, the ALJ’s May 10, 2017 decision became the final decision of 14 the Commissioner.

15 Plaintiff requested judicial review of the ALJ’s decision from this Court, and 16 the case was remanded for additional proceedings. Tr. 748-67. The ALJ held a 17 second hearing on January 5, 2021. Tr. 710-47. He took testimony from Plaintiff 18 and vocational expert Jeffrey Tittelfitz. Id. The ALJ entered an unfavorable

19 1In the interest of protecting Plaintiff’s privacy, the Court will use Plaintiff’s 20 first name and last initial, and, subsequently, Plaintiff’s first name only, throughout 21 1 decision on January 29, 2021. Tr. 687-703. The Appeals Council did not assume 2 jurisdiction over the case pursuant to 20 C.F.R. § 416.1484(a). Therefore, the 3 January 29, 2021 ALJ decision became the final decision of the Commissioner. 4 The matter is now before this Court pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 405(g); 1383(c).

5 ECF No. 1. 6 BACKGROUND 7 The facts of the case are set forth in the administrative hearing and

8 transcripts, the ALJ’s decision, and the briefs of Plaintiff and the Commissioner. 9 Only the most pertinent facts are summarized here. 10 Plaintiff was 40 years old at the date of application. Tr. 238. The highest 11 grade Plaintiff completed was the eighth grade in 1990. Tr. 295. At application

12 Plaintiff reported a work history that included production clerk, fruit sorter, retail 13 clerk, and assistance secretary. Tr. 296. She stated that she stopped working on 14 December 31, 2006 due to her impairments. Tr. 294.

15 STANDARD OF REVIEW 16 A district court’s review of a final decision of the Commissioner of Social 17 Security is governed by 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). The scope of review under § 405(g) is 18 limited; the Commissioner’s decision will be disturbed “only if it is not supported

19 by substantial evidence or is based on legal error.” Hill v. Astrue, 698 F.3d 1153, 20 1158 (9th Cir. 2012). “Substantial evidence” means “relevant evidence that a 21 reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Id. at 1159 1 “more than a mere scintilla[,] but less than a preponderance.” Id. (quotation and 2 citation omitted). In determining whether the standard has been satisfied, a 3 reviewing court must consider the entire record as a whole ratherm than searching 4 for supporting evidence in isolation. Id.

5 In reviewing a denial of benefits, a district court may not substitute its 6 judgment for that of the Commissioner. “The court will uphold the ALJ’s 7 conclusion when the evidence is susceptible to more than one rational

8 interpretation.” Tommasetti v. Astrue, 533 F.3d 1035, 1038 (9th Cir. 2008). 9 Further, a district court will not reverse an ALJ’s decision on account of an error 10 that is harmless. Id. An error is harmless where it is “inconsequential to the 11 [ALJ’s] ultimate nondisability determination.” Id. (quotation and citation

12 omitted). The party appealing the ALJ’s decision generally bears the burden of 13 establishing that it was harmed. Shinseki v. Sanders, 556 U.S. 396, 409-10 (2009). 14 FIVE-STEP EVALUATION PROCESS

15 A claimant must satisfy two conditions to be considered “disabled” within 16 the meaning of the Social Security Act. First, the claimant must be “unable to 17 engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable 18 physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which

19 has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 20 months.” 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(A). Second, the claimant’s impairment must be 21 “of such severity that he is not only unable to do his previous work[,] but cannot, 1 substantial gainful work which exists in the national economy.” 42 U.S.C. § 2 423(d)(2)(A). 3 The Commissioner has established a five-step sequential analysis to 4 determine whether a claimant satisfies the above criteria. See 20 C.F.R. §

5 416.920(a)(4)(i)-(v). At step one, the Commissioner considers the claimant’s work 6 activity. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(i). If the claimant is engaged in “substantial 7 gainful activity,” the Commissioner must find that the claimant is not disabled. 20

8 C.F.R. § 416.920(b). 9 If the claimant is not engaged in substantial gainful activity, the analysis 10 proceeds to step two. At this step, the Commissioner considers the severity of the 11 claimant’s impairment. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(ii). If the claimant suffers from

12 “any impairment or combination of impairments which significantly limits [his or 13 her] physical or mental ability to do basic work activities,” the analysis proceeds to 14 step three. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(c). If the claimant’s impairment does not satisfy

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