Parker v. Kijakazi (CONSENT)

District Court, M.D. Alabama·Decided June 21, 2022·No. 1:20-cv-00938·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA SOUTHERN DIVISION

KEITH EDWARD PARKER, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) CASE NO. 1:20-CV-938-KFP ) KILOLO KIJAKAZI, ) Acting Commissioner of Social Security, ) ) Defendant. )

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

Plaintiff seeks review of the Social Security Administration’s decision denying his application for disability insurance benefits. The undersigned, having considered the record, briefs, applicable regulations, and caselaw, AFFIRMS the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security. I. STANDARD OF REVIEW This Court’s role in reviewing claims brought under the Social Security Act is a narrow one. The scope is limited to determining whether substantial evidence in the record as a whole supports the Commissioner’s decision and whether the correct legal standards were applied. Winschel v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec. Admin., 631 F.3d 1176, 1178 (11th Cir. 2011). Substantial evidence is more than a scintilla but less than a preponderance. Martin v. Sullivan, 894 F.2d 1520, 1529 (11th Cir. 1990). The Court may not reweigh evidence or substitute its judgment for that of the Commissioner, and, even if the evidence preponderates against the Commissioner’s factual findings, the Court must affirm if the decision is supported by substantial evidence. Winschel, 631 F.3d at 1178; Bloodsworth v. Heckler, 703 F.2d 1233, 1239 (11th Cir. 1983). II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Plaintiff filed his application for disability benefits in August 2018, alleging a disability onset of August 11, 2017, due to gout, bulging disc in his back, Achilles’ tendonitis, and blood pressure. R. 149. Plaintiff, who has a twelfth-grade education and past relevant work experience as a maintenance inspector, was fifty years old at the alleged onset of disability and fifty-two years old at the time of the ALJ’s decision. R. 20, 124,

150. The ALJ found that Plaintiff had the severe impairments of gout, obesity, and a back disorder but that he did not have an impairment or combination of impairments that met or medically equaled a listed impairment. R. 16–17. He then found that Plaintiff has the following residual functional capacity: [Plaintiff] has the residual functional capacity to perform light work as defined in 20 CFR 404.1567(b) except the claimant could frequently use foot controls; frequently climb ramps and stairs; occasionally climb ladders, ropes, and scaffolds; frequently balance; and occasionally stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl. He can frequently reach overhead bilaterally.

R. 17. The ALJ also found Plaintiff could perform his past relevant work as a maintenance inspector and, based on the testimony of a vocational expert, could perform other work existing in significant numbers in the national economy, such as recreation aide, creel clerk, and marker. R. 20–21. Thus, the ALJ found Plaintiff was not disabled through the date of his decision. R. 29. In reaching his decision, the ALJ discounted the opinion of James Nolin, a nurse practitioner, who performed a one-time consultative examination of Plaintiff on December 29, 2018. R. 258. At the evaluation, Plaintiff complained of gout, back pain, and Achilles tendonitis and reported that he could do housework and light yard work (with breaks), run errands, go grocery shopping, attend church, and drive a car. Id. He reported having gout

for fifteen years, taking abortive treatments at the time, and having gout “flares 2-3 months depending on activity and stressors.” R. 259. Upon examination, Nolin found Plaintiff to be alert, oriented, well-developed, well- nourished, and in no distress. R. 259. Plaintiff’s neck and back had no deformities or signs of trauma; the curvature of his spine was normal; his shoulders and hips were of equal

height bilaterally; there was no evidence of muscle atrophy; his joints were stable with no evidence of problems; his posture was upright; his gait was smooth, steady, and normal; and his reflexes were normal. R. 260–61. His strength was rated as a four out of five in his legs, but his grip and arm strength were normal. He was unsteady when tandem walking and when walking on his heels and toes, and he could perform only a half squat; however,

he had no issues getting on and off the examination table and had no need for an assistive device when walking. R. 261–62. Id. He had some decreased range of motion in the cervical spine, lumbar spine, and right shoulder,1 but the range of motion in his left shoulder, elbows, wrists, hands, hips, knees, and ankles were normal. Based on this examination, Nolin opined that Plaintiff had the ability to work and do work-related activities as follows:

1 With his cervical spine, Plaintiff’s range of motion was 30/50 for forward flexion, 20/60 for extension, 35/45 for lateral flexion, 40/80 for right rotation, and 50/80 for left rotation. With his lumbar spine, his forward flexion was normal, his extension was 20/25, his lateral flexion was 15/25. With his right shoulder, forward elevation was 120/150, abduction was 130/150, adduction was 20/30, external rotation was 70/90, and internal rotation was 60/80. R. 262. 1. Stand for 5–10 minutes at a time for 3 hours per 8-hour day; 2. Walk for 5–10 minutes at a time for 3 hours per 8-hour day; 3. Sit for 30 minutes at time for 4 hours per 8-hour day;

4. Constantly perform finger manipulations, talk, and hear; 5. Frequently lift and carry 50 pounds, push and pull with his right and left arms and legs, balance, and reach overhead; and 6. Occasionally climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl. R. 264–65. The ALJ found Nolin’s opinion unpersuasive, stating as follows:

The undersigned finds that the opinions of Mr. Nolin are not persuasive or consistent with itself or the medical evidence of record. Specifically, there is no reasonable explanation with the limitations in sitting, standing and walking noted here. The claimant has no recent treatment for anything that would support those limitations on a daily basis. Finally, the work restrictions are not supported by the claimant’s minimal examination findings noted by Mr. Nolin. The opinion is not persuasive.

R. 19. On appeal, Plaintiff argues that reversal is warranted because the ALJ’s rationale for disregarding Nolin’s opinion is not consistent with the evidence of record. Doc. 16 at 4. III. DISCUSSION Plaintiff asserts the ALJ should have found Nolin’s opinion persuasive because it is both supportable and consistent.2 Specifically, he argues that Nolin’s opinion and his

2 The parties do not dispute that the new regulations enacted in March 2017 apply to this case. Accordingly, 20 C.F.R. § 416.920c, which explains how medical opinions and prior administrative medical findings are considered, states that specific evidentiary weight will not be given to a medical opinion and that the opinion’s persuasiveness will be considered using the factors of supportability, consistency, relationship with claimant, specialization, and other factors, with supportability and consistency being most important. See 20 C.F.R. § 416.920c(a) and (c). limitations are consistent with Nolin’s medical examination, Plaintiff’s longitudinal medical records, and Plaintiff’s daily activities. Id. at 4–7.

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Parker v. Kijakazi (CONSENT), (M.D. Ala. 2022).

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