Stevens v. Saul

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Washington
DecidedMarch 9, 2021
Docket2:19-cv-00376
StatusUnknown

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

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Stevens v. Saul, (E.D. Wash. 2021).

Opinion

5 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 6

7 DAVID ALLEN S., NO: 2:19-CV-00376-FVS 8 Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S 9 v. MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND DENYING 10 ANDREW M. SAUL, PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT 11 SECURITY,

12 Defendant.

13 14 BEFORE THE COURT are the parties’ cross motions for summary judgment. 15 ECF Nos. 10 and 15. This matter was submitted for consideration without oral 16 argument. The Plaintiff is represented by Attorney Dana C. Madsen. The 17 Defendant is represented by Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin F. 18 Highland. The Court has reviewed the administrative record, the parties’ completed 19 briefing, and is fully informed. For the reasons discussed below, the Court 20 GRANTS Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 15, and DENIES 21 Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 10. 1 BACKGROUND 2 Plaintiff David Allen S.1 previously filed an application for disability 3 insurance benefits, which was denied on August 10, 2010. See Tr. 31. His date last 4 insured is March 31, 2010. Id. After his application was denied, Plaintiff filed a

5 request for a hearing on October 29, 2010. Tr. 24. However, despite acknowledging 6 that he received the hearing notice, Plaintiff failed to appear at the hearing. Tr. 24. 7 On October 17, 2011, the ALJ issued an order dismissing Plaintiff’s request for a

8 hearing. Tr. 24-25. Plaintiff filed a request for review of the ALJ’s decision, which 9 was denied by the Appeals Council on May 31, 2013. Tr. 26-27. Plaintiff did not 10 appeal this decision. 11 On October 15, 2015, Plaintiff filed a new application for disability insurance

12 benefits, alleging disability began October 1, 2002.2 Tr. 142-43. As noted above, 13 his date last insured is March 31, 2010; thus, this period was covered by the prior 14 denial of disability insurance benefits dated August 10, 2010. Benefits were denied

15 initially, Tr. 38-40, and upon reconsideration, Tr. 45-47. On January 21, 2016, 16 1 In the interest of protecting Plaintiff’s privacy, the Court will use Plaintiff’s first 17 name and last initial. 18 2 Plaintiff simultaneously filed a claim for supplemental security income benefits 19 on October 15, 2015, and a favorable decision on that claim was issued on March 20 1, 2016. Tr. 94-109. 21 1 Plaintiff filed a request for a hearing. Tr. 48. On January 24, 2018, the ALJ issued 2 an order dismissing Plaintiff’s request for a hearing on the basis of res judicata. Tr. 3 31-32. Plaintiff filed a request for review, and on September 24, 2018 the Appeals 4 Council vacated the ALJ’s order of dismissal and remanded the case for further

5 proceedings. Tr. 34-35. 6 On March 21, 2019, the ALJ held a hearing. Tr. 316-24. The ALJ did not 7 allow Plaintiff to testify, nor did he allow the scheduled vocational expert or medical

8 expert to testify, on the grounds that the previous 2011 dismissal of Plaintiff’s 9 hearing request was administratively final. Tr. 320-23. Despite disallowing 10 Plaintiff’s testimony, the ALJ proceeded to consider the merits of Plaintiff’s Title II 11 claim, and issued a written decision finding there were no medical signs or

12 laboratory findings to substantiate the existence of a medically determinable 13 impairment. Tr. 16-19. Therefore, the ALJ found Plaintiff was not under a 14 disability from his alleged onset date through the date last insured. Tr. 19. On

15 September 16, 2019, the Appeals Council denied Plaintiff’s request for review of the 16 ALJ’s decision. Tr. 7-10. 17 STANDARD OF REVIEW

18 A district court’s review of a final decision of the Commissioner of Social 19 Security is governed by 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). The scope of review under § 405(g) is 20 limited; the Commissioner’s decision will be disturbed “only if it is not supported by 21 substantial evidence or is based on legal error.” Hill v. Astrue, 698 F.3d 1153, 1158 1 (9th Cir. 2012). “Substantial evidence” means “relevant evidence that a reasonable 2 mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Id. at 1159 (quotation and 3 citation omitted). Stated differently, substantial evidence equates to “more than a 4 mere scintilla[,] but less than a preponderance.” Id. (quotation and citation omitted).

5 In determining whether the standard has been satisfied, a reviewing court must 6 consider the entire record as a whole rather than searching for supporting evidence in 7 isolation. Id.

8 In reviewing a denial of benefits, a district court may not substitute its 9 judgment for that of the Commissioner. “The court will uphold the ALJ's conclusion 10 when the evidence is susceptible to more than one rational 11 interpretation.” Tommasetti v. Astrue, 533 F.3d 1035, 1038 (9th Cir. 2008). Further,

12 a district court will not reverse an ALJ’s decision on account of an error that is 13 harmless. Id. An error is harmless where it is “inconsequential to the [ALJ’s] 14 ultimate nondisability determination.” Id. (quotation and citation omitted). The

15 party appealing the ALJ’s decision generally bears the burden of establishing that it 16 was harmed. Shinseki v. Sanders, 556 U.S. 396, 409-10 (2009). 17 FIVE-STEP EVALUATION PROCESS

18 A claimant must satisfy two conditions to be considered “disabled” within the 19 meaning of the Social Security Act. First, the claimant must be “unable to engage in 20 any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or 21 mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or 1 can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve months.” 42 2 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(A). Second, the claimant’s impairment must be “of such severity 3 that he is not only unable to do his previous work[,] but cannot, considering his age, 4 education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of substantial gainful

5 work which exists in the national economy.” 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(2)(A). 6 The Commissioner has established a five-step sequential analysis to determine 7 whether a claimant satisfies the above criteria. See 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a)(4)(i)-

8 (v). At step one, the Commissioner considers the claimant’s work activity. 20 9 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a)(4)(i). If the claimant is engaged in “substantial gainful 10 activity,” the Commissioner must find that the claimant is not disabled. 20 C.F.R. § 11 404.1520(b).

12 If the claimant is not engaged in substantial gainful activity, the analysis 13 proceeds to step two. At this step, the Commissioner considers the severity of the 14 claimant’s impairment. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a)(4)(ii). If the claimant suffers from

15 “any impairment or combination of impairments which significantly limits [his or 16 her] physical or mental ability to do basic work activities,” the analysis proceeds to 17 step three. 20 C.F.R.

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