Pettijohn v. Apfel

101 F. Supp. 2d 1249, 2000 DSD 15, 2000 WL 874655
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Dakota
DecidedFebruary 11, 2000
DocketCiv.98-1028
StatusPublished

This text of 101 F. Supp. 2d 1249 (Pettijohn v. Apfel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pettijohn v. Apfel, 101 F. Supp. 2d 1249, 2000 DSD 15, 2000 WL 874655 (D.S.D. 2000).

Opinion

ORDER

KORNMANN, District Judge.

[¶ 1] Sharri D. Pettyjohn (“claimant”) filed an application for social security disability benefits on July 19, 1995, claiming that she had been unable to work since July 15, 1992 (AR 86). Her claim was denied. She requested reconsideration. The claim was again denied. An Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) held a hearing at which claimant appeared without counsel. She had counsel in connection with her pending workers’ compensation claim but had no legal representation at the social security hearing. The record does not reflect whether claimant was ever successful in her worker’s compensation claim against the entity that was her employer when she quit work in July of 1992. Claimant and a vocational expert were the only witnesses before the ALJ. Claimant’s husband was present but did not testify. The ALJ ruled on March 17, 1997, that claimant was not eligible for benefits under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act. Counsel then appeared for claimant and requested a review of the ALJ’s decision by the Appeals Council. After review was denied on June 6, 1998, claimant commenced this action. After issue was joined, both defendant (Doc. 15) and plaintiff (Doc. 11) moved for summary judgment. This Court referred the motions to U.S. Magistrate Judge Carlyle E. Richards who entered proposed findings and a recommendation (Doc. 18) on December 7, 1999, recommending, in effect, that defendant’s motion be granted and plaintiffs motion be denied. Claimant filed timely objections (Doc. 19). This Court has now read the transcript and has otherwise conducted a de novo review of the entire record. References to the transcript will be T followed by the page number. References to the administrative record will be AR followed by the page number.

[¶ 2] Claimant presented, not to the ALJ but to the Appeals Council, reference material on reflex sympathetic dystrophy (although there is no diagnosis in this case of reflex sympathetic dystrophy), a report from Sharon Green, M.Ed., dated May 10, 1998, (almost six years after the claimed onset of disability) and an inconclusive report from Cynthia Anderson Weaver, M.D., dated September 15, 1997 (more than five years after the claimed onset of disability). Claimant was specifically advised by the Appeals Council that the issue before them was whether or not claimant was disabled beginning on or before March 17, 1997 (the date of the ALJ’s decision). The issue was not whether she may have been disabled when she saw or consulted with Ms. Green or Dr. Weaver. Claimant was instructed that she could file a new application as of some date after March 17, 1997. Claimant has apparently not done so. The last date claimant was last insured to qualify for benefits under Title II of the Act would have been December 12, 1997. See T144. No theory or claim was ever presented to the ALJ about any mental impairment, either separately or in conjunction with a physical impairment.

[¶ 3] Claimant’s case rested solely on subjective complaints. It is true that the ALJ “may not disregard a claimant’s subjective complaints solely because the objective medical evidence does not fully *1251 support them.” Polaski v. Heckler, 739 F.2d 1320, 1322 (8th Cir.1984) (emphasis supplied). In the present case, the objective medical evidence does not support the subjective complaints “at all.” Nothing as to this claimant has been “medically determined.” We know also that “subjective complaints may be discounted if there are inconsistencies in the evidence as a whole.” Id. The Polaski factors include: (1) daily activities of the claimant, (2) frequency, duration and intensity of pain, (3) precipitating and aggravating factors of pain, (4) dosage, effectiveness of pain medication and side effects therefrom, and (5) functional restrictions. Id. The lack of any objective medical evidence in support of claimant’s testimony, and any inconsistencies in the evidence as a whole, are factors which the ALJ may consider in weighing the credibility of the claimant’s subjective complaints. Cruse v. Bowen, 867 F.2d 1183, 1186 (8th Cir.1989). The opinion of a treating physician is entitled to great weight, Chamberlain v. Shalala, 47 F.3d 1489, 1494 (8th Cir.1995) (citing Ward v. Heckler, 786 F.2d 844, 846 (8th Cir.1986)), although such opinion is not conclusive.

[¶ 4] “Under the relevant statute, ‘disability’ is defined as the ‘inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment ... which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.’ See 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(A); see also 20 C.F.R. § 404.1505(a). ‘[A] ‘physical or mental impairment’ is an impairment that results from anatomical, physiological, or psychological abnormalities which are demonstrable by medically acceptable clinic and laboratory diagnostic techniques.’ See 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(3); see also 20 C.F.R. § 404.1508, § 404.1527(d)(2), § 404.1527(d)(3), § 404.1528(b), § 404.1528(c), § 404.1529(a), § 404.1529(b), § 404.1529(c)(2). ‘An individual’s statement as to pain or other symptoms shall not alone be conclusive evidence of disability ... there must be medical signs and findings, established by medically acceptable clinical or laboratory diagnostic techniques, which show the existence of a medical impairment.’ See 42 U.S.C. § 423(5)(A); see also 20 C.F.R. 404-1508, § 404.1512(b)(1), § 404.1527(a)(1), § 404.1528, § 404.1529(a), § 404.1529(b), § 404.1529(c)(2).” Brown v. Shalala, 15 F.3d 97, 98 (8th Cir.1994).

[¶ 5] The sole task on review is to determine whether the denial of benefits is supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole. Rappoport v. Sullivan, 942 F.2d 1320, 1322 (8th Cir.1991). Substantial evidence may be less than a preponderance of the evidence if it is enough that a reasonable mind might find it adequate to support the conclusion reached. Oberst v. Shalala, 2 F.3d 249, 250 (8th Cir.1993).

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Bluebook (online)
101 F. Supp. 2d 1249, 2000 DSD 15, 2000 WL 874655, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pettijohn-v-apfel-sdd-2000.