Patrick v. Finch

312 F. Supp. 121, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12071
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Kentucky
DecidedApril 15, 1970
DocketNo. 2035
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 312 F. Supp. 121 (Patrick v. Finch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Patrick v. Finch, 312 F. Supp. 121, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12071 (E.D. Ky. 1970).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

SWINFORD, District Judge.

The plaintiff, Say Patrick, brings this action under the provisions of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). The decision of the hearing examiner, dated December 5, 1968, became the final decision of the Secretary on January 8, 1969, when the Appeals Council held that the decision of the hearing examiner was correct. This action was timely filed on March 3, 1969.

The record is before the court on the motions for summary judgment filed by the defendant and plaintiff on July 22, 1969, and October 7, 1969, respectively. The motions have been briefed and the answer of the defendant includes a certified transcript of the entire record of proceedings relating to the plaintiff’s claim for disability benefits.

[122]*122Mr. Patrick’s first claim was filed on August 19, 1960. It alleged that he became unable to work on the last day of 1957. The impairments were listed as “Leg and hip hurt in jeep wreck while in service. Fainting spells.” This claim was denied on July 21, 1961, and no further steps for a review of the decision were taken by the plaintiff.

The next application for benefits, which is the subject of this action, was filed on February 17, 1967. It alleged his disability as being “nervous condition, blackout spells, leg and hip”. This application was initially denied on July 17, 1967, and again on October 10, 1967, after the plaintiff had requested a reconsideration of his claim. A hearing was then held, at the request of the plaintiff. At the hearing on October 16, 1968, the plaintiff appeared with his attorney and testified at length. He also offered a witness who testified as to the work the plaintiff had done for him. Subsequently the hearing examiner rendered his decision in which he held that the claimant was not entitled to a period of disabiliity or to disability benefits under the provisions of 42 U.S.C. §§ 416 (i) and 423, respectively. His findings of fact and conclusions of law are as follows:

“FINDINGS OF FACT
“1. That the claimant filed an initial application on August 19, 1960, alleging disability the last part of the year of 1957; that the same was considered and denied under date of July 21, 1961; that the claimant filed another application on February 17, 1967, and alleged disability as of December 10, 1966; that it was upon this application that the present hearing was conducted.
“2. That the claimant holds insured status for disability purposes through June 30, 1961; that after claimant last met the earnings requirements he was able to work the last three quarters of 1963, the first three-quarters of 1964, and the last three quarters in 1965; and the first two quarters in 1966; that the nearest medical report to his alleged date of disability was November 2, 1966.
“3. The claimant was born on November 8, 1921. He has a third grade education. He is unable to read or write except to sign his name; that he spent one year in the CCC camp learning to cook; that he was in the army 11 y2 months; that he has had no other special training.
“4. That the claimant’s alleged impairments were not borne out to showing him to have a physical or mental impairment which resulted from anatomical psychological or physiological abnormalities which were substantiated by medical reports based upon medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques on or before June 30, 1961, when the earnings requirements were last met.
“5. The claimant was not disabled on December 10, 1966, the alleged date of onset nor at any time prior to that date back to June 30, 1961, when the claimant last met the special earnings requirements nor by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment or combination thereof which could be expected to result in death or which had lasted or could be expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months.
“CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
“1. The claimant is not entitled to a period of disability under Section 216 (i) of the Social Security Act, as amended.
“2. The claimant is not entitled to disability insurance benefits under Section 223 of the Social Security Act, as amended.” (Tr-14-15)

The record discloses that the plaintiff, who is now 48 years of age, is an uneducated laborer. He lives with his wife and six children at Furnace, Kentucky. He said he “went and went to school” but “couldn’t learn nothing”. (Tr-37) After leaving school (in the third grade) at about the age of fifteen, he served two [123]*123years in the CCC camp. There he learned to cook, which he stated if he were able to work would be his occupation. He was in the army in 1943 and was honorably discharged because of “inaptness”. It was while he was in the army that he was thrown from a jeep and injured his hip. He spent considerable time in the hospital before his discharge. However, he stated he was not put in a cast, but that he was given electrical shock treatments for his “head”. (Tr-41)

After his discharge from the army he worked in Dayton, Ohio as a laborer, digging ditches and cleaning tile. He also worked on the railroad in West Virginia. This was laboring work — track nailing, putting in ties, flagging, pick and shovel, etc. Exhibit 1, Tr-88, Disability Questionnaire, lists Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co., Lexington, Kentucky, as his employer from June or July, 1959, to December, 1959. However, in a Report of Contact, Exhibit 16 (Tr-118) this was given as one month only.

The plaintiff stated at the hearing that he had not worked for two years. His last job was at a stave mill where he caught the small strips of wood as they came from the saw. (Tr-83)

His chief complaints are the pain in his leg and hip joint, and “nervous spells”. He just “lay(s) around the house” all day, sleeping and watching television. He does no work around the house, but is able to take care of all his personal needs.

The medical evidence from the Veterans Administration Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky shows that he was admitted there on May 17, 1960, as a voluntary patient “presenting: ‘fainting spells’, sudden loss of strength in the leg, frontal headache, soreness in the chest, nervous tension, inability to endure being in a ‘stuffy place’, intense aggravation over being nagged by his wife, an impulse to kill his wife and threatening to kill his wife on his return home.” (Exhibit 20, Tr-140)

The physical examination revealed “an appendectomy scar in the right lower quadrant. The patient complains of pain in the left hip joint on standing and walking and especially on climbing stairs. The feet are flat. .There is some tenderness on pressure over the head of the left femur. The rest of the physical examination is within normal limits.” (Tr-140) The neurological examination was negative. The mental examination is as follows:

“The patient is cooperative but is neither friendly nor hostile. He is interested in the interview and reveals moderate tension. He expresses intense aggravation over the behavior of his wife. There is slight to moderate psychomotor retardation. The mood appears to be mildly depressed but the patient denies thoughts of suicide.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
312 F. Supp. 121, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12071, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/patrick-v-finch-kyed-1970.