Richards v. Commissioner of Social Security

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedMay 23, 2025
Docket3:24-cv-05605
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Richards v. Commissioner of Social Security, (W.D. Wash. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 5 AT TACOMA 6 IRENE R., Case No. 3:24-cv-05605-TLF 7 Plaintiff, v. ORDER AFFIRMING 8 DEFENDANT’S DECISION TO ACTING COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL DENY BENEFITS 9 SECURITY, 10 Defendant. 11 12 Plaintiff filed this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) for judicial review of 13 defendant’s denial of plaintiff’s application for supplemental security income (“SSI”) and 14 disability insurance benefits (“DIB”). Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c), Federal Rule of 15 Civil Procedure 73, and Local Rule MJR 13, the parties have consented to the 16 jurisdiction of a Magistrate Judge. Dkt. 2. Plaintiff challenges the Administrative Law 17 Judge’s (“ALJ”) decision finding that plaintiff was not disabled. Dkt. 5 Complaint. 18 On March 29, 2022, plaintiff filed applications for SSI and DIB, alleging a 19 disability onset date of September 30, 2019. AR 193-202, 203-207. The claims were 20 denied initially and upon reconsideration. On September 12, 2023, a hearing was 21 conducted by ALJ Margret Sullivan. AR 42-57. The ALJ issued a decision on December 22 19, 2023, finding plaintiff not disabled. AR 15-34. The Appeals Council denied the 23 request for review (AR 1) and plaintiff filed this appeal. 24 1 The ALJ determined plaintiff had the following severe impairments: degenerative 2 disc disease, fibromyalgia, migraines, anxiety, and depression. AR 20. The ALJ 3 determined plaintiff had the residual functional capacity (“RFC”) to perform sedentary 4 work as defined in 20 C.F.R. 404.1567(a) and 416.967(a) except plaintiff “must have

5 simple instructions only; must have only occasional contact with the public and 6 coworkers; and must not be required to work at heights or near hazardous machinery.” 7 AR 24. The ALJ determined plaintiff could perform the requirements of representative 8 occupations such as document preparer (DOT 249.587-018, sedentary; SVP 2); escort 9 vehicle preparer (DOT 919.663-022, sedentary; SVP2); addresser (DOT 209.587-010, 10 sedentary; SVP 2). AR 33. 11 STANDARD 12 Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), this Court may set aside the Commissioner's 13 denial of Social Security benefits if the ALJ's findings are based on legal error or not 14 supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole. Revels v. Berryhill, 874

15 F.3d 648, 654 (9th Cir. 2017) (internal citations omitted). Substantial evidence is “‘such 16 relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a 17 conclusion.’” Biestek v. Berryhill, 139 S. Ct. 1148, 1154 (2019) (internal citations 18 omitted). The Court must consider the administrative record as a whole. Garrison v. 19 Colvin, 759 F.3d 995, 1009 (9th Cir. 2014). The Court also must weigh both the 20 evidence that supports and evidence that does not support the ALJ’s conclusion. Id. 21 The Court may not affirm the decision of the ALJ for a reason upon which the ALJ did 22 not rely. Id. Rather, only the reasons identified by the ALJ are considered in the scope 23 of the Court’s review. Id.

24 1 DISCUSSION 2 1. Plaintiff’s statements about symptoms and limitations 3 Plaintiff challenges the ALJ’s evaluation of her statements regarding symptoms 4 and limitations relating to her physical impairments. Dkt. 9 at 2-12

5 The ALJ’s determinations regarding a claimant’s statements about limitations 6 “must be supported by specific, cogent reasons.” Reddick v. Chater, 157 F.3d 715, 722 7 (9th Cir. 1998) (citing Rashad v. Sullivan, 903 F.2d 1229, 1231 (9th Cir. 1990)). In 8 assessing a Plaintiff’s credibility, the ALJ must determine whether Plaintiff has 9 presented objective medical evidence of an underlying impairment. If such evidence is 10 present and there is no evidence of malingering, the ALJ can only reject plaintiff’s 11 testimony regarding the severity of symptoms for specific, clear, and convincing 12 reasons. Ghanim v. Colvin, 763 F.3d 1154, 1163 (9th Cir. 2014) (citing Lingenfelter v. 13 Astrue, 504 F.3d 1028, 1036 (9th Cir. 2007)). 14 Plaintiff completed a function report on February 6, 2022 (AR 237-44) and wrote

15 that she is unable to look at a monitor for more than 30 minutes without triggering a 16 migraine, she has a difficulty driving because of migraines and light sensitivity, she 17 cannot focus or remember things because of fibromyalgia, brain fog, and migraines; she 18 is always exhausted, has very little motivation, and is afraid to be around people she 19 does not live with. AR 237. 20 Plaintiff reported that she prepares meals that take 30 minutes or less (with help), 21 and she can do laundry, some sweeping, and general tidying and light cleaning. AR 22 239. She wrote that she tries to go on at least a short walk every day. AR 240. Her 23 hobbies are reading, watching tv, playing video games, hiking, sewing felt characters,

24 1 cooking, baking, and swimming. AR 241. She indicated that her conditions impact all 2 functional areas and wrote that she can walk for about 15 minutes at a time before she 3 needs to rest for 45 seconds to a few minutes. AR 242. 4 At the hearing, plaintiff testified that in 2019 she left her role as a bank teller

5 because her pain levels were extremely high – she stated that she was dealing with 6 severe migraines every day and her depression was getting very bad. AR 48. 7 She testified that, on an average day, she wakes between 9:00 am and 10:30 8 am, her mom makes her breakfast and if they are going grocery shopping everything is 9 planned out carefully, if not then she takes it easy at home. Id. She watches television, 10 tries to read, and might help with something simple for dinner. AR 49. She tries to keep 11 herself relaxed and goes to bed between midnight and 1:30 am. Id. 12 Plaintiff testified that she experiences daily pain in her neck, her joints, all down 13 her back, her hips, and her skin. AR 51-52. She uses a wheelchair when she leaves the 14 house if she goes to a place there would be a lot of walking, although she doesn’t really

15 go places. AR 52. She testified her conditions have worsened, causing more pain and a 16 worsened memory. Id. She experiences chronic suicidal ideations and feeling down all 17 the time due to her treatment-resistant depression. Id. 18 As for chores, plaintiff stated she does two loads of laundry a week, she will help 19 with dishes if she can tolerate it, and she will cook simple meals with assistance a few 20 times a week, including help with chopping and preparing ingredients and bending and 21 reaching. AR 53. She stated that 10-12 days a month her migraine is so bad she lays in 22 bed. Id. 23

24 1 The ALJ determined that plaintiff’s medically determinable impairments could 2 reasonably be expected to cause the alleged symptoms, however, plaintiff’s statements 3 concerning the intensity, persistence, and limiting effects of these symptoms were not 4 entirely consistent with the medical evidence and her activities of daily living. AR 26.

5 a.

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Related

Turner v. Commissioner of Social Security
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Eagan v. United States
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United States v. Borrero-Acevedo
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Rashad v. Sullivan
903 F.2d 1229 (Ninth Circuit, 1990)
Molina v. Astrue
674 F.3d 1104 (Ninth Circuit, 2012)
Orn v. Astrue
495 F.3d 625 (Ninth Circuit, 2007)
Lingenfelter v. Astrue
504 F.3d 1028 (Ninth Circuit, 2007)
Karen Garrison v. Carolyn W. Colvin
759 F.3d 995 (Ninth Circuit, 2014)
Jasim Ghanim v. Carolyn W. Colvin
763 F.3d 1154 (Ninth Circuit, 2014)
Kanika Revels v. Nancy Berryhill
874 F.3d 648 (Ninth Circuit, 2017)
Biestek v. Berryhill
587 U.S. 97 (Supreme Court, 2019)
Byrnes v. Shalala
60 F.3d 639 (Ninth Circuit, 1995)
Reddick v. Chater
157 F.3d 715 (Ninth Circuit, 1998)
Bunnell v. Sullivan
947 F.2d 341 (Ninth Circuit, 1991)

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Bluebook (online)
Richards v. Commissioner of Social Security, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richards-v-commissioner-of-social-security-wawd-2025.