Thorington v. Shalala

880 F. Supp. 995, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17958, 47 Soc. Serv. Rev. 459
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedOctober 28, 1994
DocketNo. 93-CV-486A
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 880 F. Supp. 995 (Thorington v. Shalala) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thorington v. Shalala, 880 F. Supp. 995, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17958, 47 Soc. Serv. Rev. 459 (W.D.N.Y. 1994).

Opinion

ORDER

ARCARA, District Judge.

This case was referred to Magistrate Judge Carol E. Heckman, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), on September 14, 1993. On January 31, 1994, the Secretary filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings with respect to plaintiffs disability insurance benefits and for remand with respect to plaintiffs SSI benefits.

On February 18, 1994, Magistrate Judge Heckman filed a Report and Recommendation recommending that the Secretary’s motion for judgment on the pleadings be denied, that the Secretary’s motion for remand be granted, and the case remanded to the Secretary for further proceedings with respect to both the disability insurance- and SSI benefits applications.

The government filed objections to the Report and Recommendation on March 10, 1994. Plaintiff filed a response on March 25, 1994, and the government filed a reply on March 30, 1994. The Court heard argument on April 26, 1994.

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), this Court must make a de novo determination of those portions of the Report and Recommendation to which objections have been made. Upon a de novo review of the Report and Recommendation, and of the record and the submissions and after hearing argument from the parties, the Court adopts the proposed findings of the Report and Recommendation.

Accordingly, for the reasons set forth in Magistrate Judge Heckman’s Report and [997]*997Recommendation, the Secretary’s motion for judgment on the pleadings is denied, the Secretary’s motion for remand is granted, and the case is remanded to the Secretary for further proceedings with respect to both the disability insurance and SSI benefits applications.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

HECKMAN, United States Magistrate Judge.

. This matter was referred to the undersigned by the Hon. Richard J. Arcara, to hear and report, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(b). Plaintiff initiated this action to seek review of the final decision of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the “Secretary”) denying her disability insurance and supplemental security income (“SSI”) benefits under the Social Security Act (the “Act”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 401-433 (Title II) and §§ 1381-1383d (Title XVI). The Secretary has filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings with respect to the disability insurance benefits determination, and for remand with respect to the SSI benefits determination. For the reasons that follow, it is recommended that the Secretary’s motion for' judgment on the pleadings be denied, that the Secretary’s motion for remand be granted, and the case remanded to the Secretary for further proceedings with respect to both the disability insurance and SSI benefits applications.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff was born on January 1, 1951 (T. 47).1 She has a twelfth grade education. She was formerly employed as a nurse’s aid, a convenience store clerk, and a factory worker. She was last employed in 1988 as a part-time housekeeper at a hotel and restaurant (T. 97).

Plaintiff applied for SSI benefits on November 12, 1991 (T. 77-80), and for disability insurance benefits on November 18, 1991 (T. 47-49), alleging disability as of December 28, 1988 due to degenerative disc disease (T. 93). It is not disputed that plaintiff met the disability insured status requirements of the Act on the alleged onset date, and continued to meet those requirements through June 30, 1989, but not thereafter (T. 86).2

The medical evidence in the record shows that plaintiff was examined by Dr. John R. Scott, an internist, on January 25, 1989 (T. 150). Dr. Scott noted that plaintiff had suffered a “sudden onset one month ago of pain in the right lumbar region” while doing house cleaning. The back pain was accompanied by numbness and tingling radiating down her leg. Following chiropractic treatment, the pain had diminished by fifty per cent, and the numbness had disappeared. Dr. Scott’s impression was “L4 right lumbar disc disease, improving, one month duration.” He prescribed two weeks of complete bed rest along with anti-inflammatory and pain medication (id).

On January 27, 1989, Dr. Scott referred plaintiff to Dr. David M. McGee, a neurosur[998]*998geon, for further evaluation after she reported two successive days of terrible pain (T. 149). Upon examination on February 2, 1989, Dr. McGee’s impression was herniated intervertebral disc, lumbar, with secondary right sciatica (T. 127). He noted her lack of improvement with prescribed course of bed rest and medication, a sudden increase in the level of disabling pain, and her inability to continue conservative care at home. He recommended immediate hospital admission for pain control (id.).

Plaintiff was admitted to Arnot-Ogden Hospital in Elmira, New York on February 2, 1989, for “further evaluation of severe right sciatica” (T. 121). She underwent “water soluble myelogram which failed to show major nerve root cut-off ...” (id., T. 125). She also underwent a bone scan (T. 124), a CT scan and x-rays (T. 125), none of which revealed any evidence of disc herniation or other significant abnormalities. During her stay at the hospital she was treated conservatively with medication and physical therapy. She showed “gradual improvement in her radiating leg pain over many days and slow decrease in back pain complaints” (id.). Upon discharge on February 13, 1989, Dr. McGee advised plaintiff “to slowly increase light activities, to remain off work duty, slow increase in ambulation” (id).

Plaintiff attended seven physical therapy sessions at Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville during April and May, 1989. Physical therapist Lee Chaffee noted plaintiffs complaints of lower back pain, especially when sitting or in prolonged postures. None of the therapy techniques used resulted in “any immediate alleviation” (T. 128).

On June 16, 1989, plaintiff was examined again by Dr. Scott. He noted that the mye-logram taken at Arnot-Ogden Hospital “did not show any herniated disc but there is some weakening of discs” (T. 149). Dr. Scott further noted that plaintiff had been unable to increase her activity because of continuing pain. “If she walks more than a block she has a lot of pain and she is very tired the next day. It hurts to bend, it hurts to sit in chairs” (id). According to Dr. Scott, “[tjhere is no way that she can continue her previous job duties which included lifting 35 lbs most of the day. She remains disabled” (id.).

She saw Dr. Scott again on June 30, 1989. His diagnosis was degenerative disc disease, with no improvement noted (T. 148). On July 28, 1989, Dr. Scott noted that medication had not helped alleviate her pain. Dr. Scott “discussed with her and her husband the nature of chronic disc disease” (id.). Dr. Scott was of the opinion that plaintiff would not “be able to do bending or lifting or that type of work in the future. This will be a chronic condition” (id.).

On September 25,1989, Dr.

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Bluebook (online)
880 F. Supp. 995, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17958, 47 Soc. Serv. Rev. 459, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thorington-v-shalala-nywd-1994.