Simpson v. Weinberger

365 F. Supp. 851, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13349
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Tennessee
DecidedJune 5, 1973
DocketCiv. A. No. 8063
StatusPublished

This text of 365 F. Supp. 851 (Simpson v. Weinberger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Simpson v. Weinberger, 365 F. Supp. 851, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13349 (E.D. Tenn. 1973).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

ROBERT L. TAYLOR, District Judge.

This is an action commenced pursuant to Title 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) to review the final determination of the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare denying plaintiff disabled widow’s benefits.

Title 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(2)(B) defines the term “disability” as it applies to widows. This section provides that

“A widow, surviving divorced wife, or widower shall not be determined to be under a disability (for purposes of section 202(e) or (f) of this title) unless his or her physical or mental impairment or impairments are of a level of severity which under regulations
[852]*852prescribed by the Secretary is deemed to be sufficient to preclude an individual from engaging in any gainful activity.”

Section 223(d) (3) continues:

“(3) For purposes of this subsection, a ‘physical or mental impairment’ is an impairment that results from anatomical, physiological, or psychological abnormalities which are demonstrable by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques.”

The standard of disability with regard to disabled widows is stricter than that applied to ordinary workers. Section 423 requires that an individual be unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity, whereas, under Section 423(d)(2)(B) an individual must be unable to engage in any gainful activity. Henry v. Richardson, D. C., 320 F.Supp. 296 (1970).

Additionally, pursuant to Section 423(d)(2)(B), the Secretary had adopted regulations regarding widow’s benefits which require that a claimant meet certain standards. Appendix to subpart “P” of the regulations, 20 C.F.R. § 404.-1501 et seq., lists the impairments and requires that an individual’s impairments be the medical equivalent of those set out. Hendrix v. Finch, D.C., 310 F.Supp. 513 (1970).

The record in this case discloses that plaintiff first filed an application on May 26, 1969. This application was denied on December 22, 1969 and her request for reconsideration affirmed the denial. Plaintiff thereafter requested a hearing which was held on November 5, 1970. The Examiner in a decision dated December 10, 1970, affirmed the previous determination and on February 25, 1971 the Appeals Council sustained the Examiner’s decision.

On March 22, 1971, the plaintiff filed the present application. The Secretary denied the application, and plaintiff again requested a hearing. The second examiner, as well as the Appeals Council, affirmed the original decision and plaintiff commenced this suit for review.

Plaintiff alleges disability due to cataracts, arthritis, and diabetes. From May 13 to May 19, 1968, plaintiff was hospitalized at Community Hospital, Anderson, Indiana, for removal of a mature left cataract.

Doctor Van Ness, a general practitioner, reported to the Social Security Administration that plaintiff had been a diabetic for ten years. He also noted that she suffers from chronic colitis. The combination of these two disorders, he felt, has “deteriorated to the point that she is going to have to quit any gainful occupation.” This physical examination disclosed a blood pressure of 180/76. Heart rate was 96 with occasional extra systoles and dropped beats. There was a marked stiffness and pain on movement and a generalized muscle soreness. Dr. Van Ness diagnosed diabetes, mellitus, chronic and advanced; arteriosclerosis with hypertension, severe; cataracts removed in 1966 and 1968.

Plaintiff was examined by Dr. Boberg, an internist, on August 22, 1969, at the request of the Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Division. The physical examination by Dr. Boberg showed that plaintiff was

“. . . a well developed, well nourished, obese white female who does not appear to be acutely ill at the present time. Vital Signs: Her height is 63 inches, weight 177%, pounds, pulse is 88 per minute and regular. Blood pressure 148/54 in the right arm recumbant; 144/60 in the left arm recumbant. Head is normocephalic, no evidence of trauma or tumor masses. Ears: Both external auditory canals and tympanic membranes were clear bilaterally, without any evidence of any infection. Eyes: The patient has bilateral iridectomies and also bilateral aphakias. All the extra ocular movements appeared to be intact. Sclerae were clear. Both pupils were irregular. On funduseop[853]*853ie examination the patient has arteriolar narrowing but there were no hemorrhages or exudates seen. The patient has questionable micro aneurysms. Nose: Both nasal canals were patent bilaterally without any obstruction or bleeding points being seen. Mouth and Throat: Patient is completely edentulous, replaced with a full set of dentures. No buccal cavity lesions were seen. Throat clear of any acute infection. Tongue was well papillated and in the mid-line. Neck is supple. Carotid arteries were present and equal bilaterally without any bruits. Thyroid gland normal. Back: The patient seemed to have tenderness over the cervical vertebra and also the upper thoracic area. No CVA tenderness. Chest was clear to percussion and auscultation, no rales, rhonchi or any wheezing were heard. Heart was borderline enlarged to percussion. A regular sinus rhythm at 88 beats per minute. No heaves or thrills were palpated. No murmurs or friction rubs were heard. The breasts were soft, non-tender without any masses. Abdomen: Patient seemed to have generalized abdominal tenderness with only a slight amount of palpation. Normoactive bowel sounds. No masses were palpable. Liver, spleen and kidneys were not palpable. Patient has a well healed surgical scar in the epigastric area, also a well healed right paramedian surgical scar. Pelvic Examination: Patient has a considerable amount of scarring of the introitus. The speculum could not be inserted without causing the patient a considerable amount of pain. There is no uterus palpated, no unusual adnexal masses or tenderness. Patient also has a considerable amount of scarring on the rectal orifice. There were no rectal masses or tenderness noted.
“Extremities: Patient able to move all the extremities with a full range of motion. There is no edema. The patient has good pedal pulses and peripheral pulses. No clubbing or cyanosis. There is no redness or undue tenderness. No increase in temperature in any of the joints. There is no swelling of any of the joints and there seems to be a normal range of motion. Neurological Examination: Deep tendon reflexes were hypoactive in the lower extremities but were equal bilaterally, they were present and equal bilaterally in the upper extremities. No pathological reflexes were obtained. Cranial nerves were grossly intact.
“Chest x-ray was interpreted by Doctor Lintner Clark, Roentgenologist, and is as follows: ‘A PA view of the chest is negative. Cardiac-thoracic ratio 133 mm. over 275 mm.’
“Laboratory Studies: Urinalysis revealed the specific gravity of 1.016, negative for albumin and sugar. Patient had 4+ white blood cells and only a rare red blood cell.

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Related

Hendrix v. Finch
310 F. Supp. 513 (D. South Carolina, 1970)
Henry v. Richardson
320 F. Supp. 296 (E.D. Tennessee, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
365 F. Supp. 851, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13349, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/simpson-v-weinberger-tned-1973.