(SS) Phillips v. Commissioner of Social Security

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJuly 9, 2020
Docket2:18-cv-02307
StatusUnknown

This text of (SS) Phillips v. Commissioner of Social Security ((SS) Phillips 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) Phillips v. Commissioner of Social Security, (E.D. Cal. 2020).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 ALESIA ANN PHILLIPS, No. 2:18-cv-02307-MCE-KJN 12 Plaintiff, 13 v. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 14 COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL (ECF Nos. 16, 22) SECURITY, 15 Defendant. 16 17 Plaintiff seeks judicial review of a final decision by the Commissioner of Social Security 18 denying her application for Social Security Benefits.1 In her summary judgment motion, plaintiff 19 contends the Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) erred by failing to consider plaintiff’s dyslexia, 20 failing to provide clear and convincing reasons to discredit plaintiff’s pain testimony, and failing 21 to develop the vocational expert’s (“VE”) testimony. (ECF No. 16.) The Commissioner filed an 22 opposition and cross-motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 22.) For the reasons set forth 23 below, the undersigned RECOMMENDS DENYING plaintiff’s motion, GRANTING the 24 Commissioner’s motion, and AFFIRMING the decision of the ALJ. 25 //// 26 //// 27 1 This action was referred to the undersigned for resolution as findings and recommendations, 28 pursuant to Local Rule 302(c)(15). 1 I. BACKGROUND AND ALJ’S FIVE–STEP ANALYSIS2 2 On March 13, 2015, plaintiff filed a claim for disability, alleging an onset date of October 3 13, 2013. (See Administrative Transcript (“AT”) 168, 189.) Plaintiff listed the following 4 medical conditions on her application: back surgery, discectomy 14-15, and depression. (AT 5 193.) Plaintiff’s application was denied initially and again upon reconsideration. (AT 95-99, 6 101-05.) With the aid of an attorney, plaintiff subsequently sought review of these denials from 7 an ALJ. (AT 106-07.) At the June 29, 2017 hearing, plaintiff testified about her conditions, and 8 the ALJ heard testimony from a vocational expert regarding plaintiff’s employment prospects. 9 (AT 33-66.) 10 On November 14, 2017, the ALJ issued a decision unfavorable to plaintiff. (AT 15-26.) 11 At Step One the ALJ found that plaintiff had not engaged in gainful activity since October 13, 12 2013, plaintiff’s alleged onset date. (AT 17.) At Step Two the ALJ found plaintiff’s following 13 impairments severe: degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, adjustment disorder, 14 depression, and anxiety. (Id.) However, the ALJ determined at Step Three that plaintiff’s 15 impairments did not meet or medically equal the severity of an impairment listed in Appendix 1. 16 (AT 19, citing 20 C.F.R. Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1.)

17 2 Disability Insurance Benefits are paid to disabled persons who have contributed to the Social Security program. 42 U.S.C. §§ 401 et seq. Disability is defined, in part, as an “inability to 18 engage in any substantial gainful activity” due to “a medically determinable physical or mental 19 impairment. . . .” 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(a). A parallel five-step sequential evaluation governs eligibility for benefits. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520, 404.1571—76; Bowen v. Yuckert, 482 U.S. 20 137, 140—42 (1987). The following summarizes the sequential evaluation: Step One: Is the claimant engaging in substantial gainful activity? If so, the 21 claimant is found not disabled. If not, proceed to step two. Step Two: Does the claimant have a “severe” impairment? If so, proceed to step 22 three. If not, then a finding of not disabled is appropriate. 23 Step Three: Does the claimant’s impairment or combination of impairments meet or equal an impairment listed in 20 C.F.R., Pt. 404, Subpt. P, App. 1? If so, the 24 claimant is automatically determined disabled. If not, proceed to step four. Step Tour: Is the claimant capable of performing past relevant work? If so, the 25 claimant is not disabled. If not, proceed to step five. Step Five: Does the claimant have the residual functional capacity to perform any 26 other work? If so, the claimant is not disabled. If not, the claimant is disabled. 27 Lester v. Chater, 81 F.3d 821, 828 n.5 (9th Cir. 1995). The claimant bears the burden of proof in the first four steps of the sequential evaluation process. Bowen, 482 U.S. at 146 n.5. The 28 Commissioner bears the burden if the sequential evaluation process proceeds to Step Five. Id. 1 The ALJ found that plaintiff had the residual functional capacity (“RFC”) to perform light 2 work, except that she should avoid unprotected heights and dangerous moving machinery. (AT 3 20.) The ALJ additionally found that plaintiff could “perform routine, repetitive tasks exercising 4 only simple work-related judgments and decisions[.]” (Id.) In reaching this conclusion, the ALJ 5 stated he considered plaintiff’s symptom testimony and the objective medical evidence in the 6 record. (Id.) Relevant here, the ALJ found that plaintiff’s testimony regarding the intensity and 7 persistence of her symptoms was inconsistent with the medical and other evidence in the record. 8 (Id.) To support his conclusions, the ALJ relied upon records that showed plaintiff’s condition 9 generally well-controlled for unskilled light work and inconsistencies between plaintiff’s 10 allegations and medical opinions. (AT 20-24.) Ultimately, the ALJ concluded at Step Four that 11 plaintiff was incapable of performing her past relevant work. (AT 24.) The ALJ, however, found 12 that plaintiff could perform other jobs existing in significant numbers in the national economy at 13 Step Five. (AT 24-25.) 14 On July 26, 2018, the Appeals Council denied plaintiff’s request for review, making the 15 ALJ’s decision the final decision of the Commissioner. (AT 1-6.) Plaintiff then filed the present 16 action, requesting review of the Commissioner’s final decision. (ECF No. 1.) The parties have 17 filed cross-motions for summary judgment. (ECF Nos. 16, 22.) 18 II. LEGAL STANDARD 19 The court reviews the Commissioner’s decision de novo, and should reverse “only if the 20 ALJ's decision was not supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole or if the ALJ 21 applied the wrong legal standard.” Buck v. Berryhill, 869 F.3d 1040, 1048 (9th Cir. 2017). 22 Substantial evidence is more than a mere scintilla, but less than a preponderance; i.e. “such 23 relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” 24 Edlund v. Massanari, 253 F.3d 1152, 1156 (9th Cir. 2001). “The ALJ is responsible for 25 determining credibility, resolving conflicts in medical testimony, and resolving ambiguities.” Id. 26 The court will uphold the ALJ’s conclusion where “the evidence is susceptible to more than one 27 rational interpretation.” Tommasetti v. Astrue, 533 F.3d 1035, 1038 (9th Cir. 2008). Further, the 28 court may not reverse the ALJ’s decision on account of harmless error. Buck, 869 F.3d at 1048. 1 III. ISSUES PRESENTED 2 Plaintiff raises three points of error: (A) that the ALJ erred at Step Two by failing to 3 consider her dyslexia “severe” and later failing to consider the disorder in her RFC; (B) that the 4 ALJ improperly discounted her subjective pain testimony; and (C) that the ALJ erred by not 5 developing the VE’s testimony. The Commissioner responds to each point, asserting that the 6 ALJ’s decision is free of legal error and supported by substantial evidence. The Commissioner 7 therefore argues that the ALJ’s decision should be affirmed. 8 IV. DISCUSSION 9 A.

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Bluebook (online)
(SS) Phillips v. Commissioner of Social Security, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ss-phillips-v-commissioner-of-social-security-caed-2020.