(SS) Pellegrini v. Commissioner of Social Security

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedMarch 13, 2023
Docket2:21-cv-02312
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
(SS) Pellegrini v. Commissioner of Social Security, (E.D. Cal. 2023).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 NOEL BRITT PELLIGRINI, No. 2:21-cv-2312 DB 12 Plaintiff, 13 v. ORDER 14 KILOLO KIJAKAZI, Acting Commissioner of Social Security,1 15 16 Defendant. 17 18 This social security action was submitted to the court without oral argument for ruling on 19 plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and defendant’s cross-motion for summary judgment.2 20 Plaintiff’s motion argues that the Administrative Law Judge’s treatment of the medical opinion 21 evidence, residual functional capacity determination, and Vocational Expert questioning 22 constituted error. 23 //// 24 1 After the filing of this action Kilolo Kijakazi was appointed Acting Commissioner of Social 25 Security and has, therefore, been substituted as the defendant. See 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) (referring to the “Commissioner’s Answer”); 20 C.F.R. § 422.210(d) (“the person holding the Office of the 26 Commissioner shall, in his official capacity, be the proper defendant”). 27 2 Both parties have previously consented to Magistrate Judge jurisdiction over this action 28 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). (See ECF No. 8.) 1 For the reasons explained below, plaintiff’s motion is granted, the decision of the 2 Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner”) is reversed, and the matter is remanded for 3 further proceedings. 4 PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND 5 In March of 2019, plaintiff filed an application for Disability Insurance Benefits (“DIB”) 6 under Title II of the Social Security Act (“the Act”), alleging disability beginning on June 24, 7 2017. (Transcript (“Tr.”) at 16, 186-91.) Plaintiff’s alleged impairments included fibromyalgia, 8 chronic pain, depression, sleep disorder, mood swings, and ADD. (Id. at 208.) Plaintiff’s 9 application was denied initially, (id. at 98-102), and upon reconsideration. (Id. at 107-11.) 10 Plaintiff requested an administrative hearing and a hearing was held before an 11 Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) on November 17, 2020. (Id. at 32-67.) Plaintiff was 12 represented by an attorney and testified at the administrative hearing. (Id. at 32-38.) In a 13 decision issued on December 28, 2020, the ALJ found that plaintiff was not disabled. (Id. at 27.) 14 The ALJ entered the following findings: 15 1. The claimant meets the insured status requirements of the Social Security Act through December 31, 2023. 16 2. The claimant has not engaged in substantial gainful activity 17 since June 24, 2017, alleged onset date (20 CFR 404.1571 et seq.). 18 3. The claimant has the following severe combination of impairments: fibromyalgia, chronic pain syndrome, lumbar disc 19 disease, degenerative joint disease, headaches, depressive disorder, rule out neurocognitive disorder, and alcohol use disorder in 20 sustained remission (20 CFR 404.1520(c)). 21 4. The claimant does not have an impairment or combination of impairments that meets or medically equals the severity of one of 22 the listed impairments in 20 CFR Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1 (20 CFR 404.1520(d), 404.1525, and 404.1526). 23 5. After careful consideration of the entire record, the undersigned 24 finds that the claimant has the residual functional capacity to perform light work as defined in 20 CFR 404.1567(b) except he can 25 frequently push, pull, handle, and finger with the upper extremities. He can frequently balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb ramps or 26 stairs. He can occasionally crawl and climb ladders, ropes, or scaffolds. He must avoid concentrated exposure to a greater than 27 moderate noise level as that term is defined in the Selected Characteristics of Occupations. He cannot have exposure to 28 unprotected heights and hazardous machinery. He can perform 1 simple, routine, repetitive tasks in a work environment free from fast- paced production requirements, involving only simple work-related 2 decisions with few, if any, changes in the workplace. 3 6. The claimant is unable to perform any past relevant work (20 CFR 404.1565). 4 7. The claimant was born [in] 1967 and was 50 years old, which is 5 defined as an individual closely approaching advanced age, on the alleged disability onset date (20 CFR 404.1563). 6 8. The claimant has at least a high school education (20 CFR 7 404.1564). 8 9. Transferability of job skills is not material to the determination of disability because using the Medical-Vocational Rules as a 9 framework supports a finding that the claimant is “not disabled,” whether or not the claimant has transferable job skills (See SSR 82- 10 41 and 20 CFR Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 2). 11 10. Considering the claimant’s age, education, work experience, and residual functional capacity, there are jobs that exist in significant 12 numbers in the national economy that the claimant can perform (20 CFR 404.1569 and 404.1569(a)). 13 11. The claimant has not been under a disability, as defined in the 14 Social Security Act, from May 3, 2018, through the date of this decision (20 CFR 404.1520(g)). 15 16 (Id. at 18-27.) 17 On June 9, 2021, the Appeals Council denied plaintiff’s request for review of the ALJ’s 18 December 28, 2020 decision. (Id. at 4-7.) Plaintiff sought judicial review pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 19 § 405(g) by filing the complaint in this action on December 15, 2021. (ECF. No. 1.) 20 LEGAL STANDARD 21 “The district court reviews the Commissioner’s final decision for substantial evidence, 22 and the Commissioner’s decision will be disturbed only if it is not supported by substantial 23 evidence or is based on legal error.” Hill v. Astrue, 698 F.3d 1153, 1158-59 (9th Cir. 2012). 24 Substantial evidence is such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to 25 support a conclusion. Osenbrock v. Apfel, 240 F.3d 1157, 1162 (9th Cir. 2001); Sandgathe v. 26 Chater, 108 F.3d 978, 980 (9th Cir. 1997). 27 “[A] reviewing court must consider the entire record as a whole and may not affirm 28 simply by isolating a ‘specific quantum of supporting evidence.’” Robbins v. Soc. Sec. Admin., 1 466 F.3d 880, 882 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Hammock v.

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(SS) Pellegrini v. Commissioner of Social Security, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ss-pellegrini-v-commissioner-of-social-security-caed-2023.