Trauterman v. Colvin

1 F. Supp. 3d 432, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20230, 2014 WL 641544
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 19, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 1:12-268
StatusPublished

This text of 1 F. Supp. 3d 432 (Trauterman v. Colvin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Trauterman v. Colvin, 1 F. Supp. 3d 432, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20230, 2014 WL 641544 (W.D. Pa. 2014).

Opinion

OPINION and ORDER OF COURT

AMBROSE, Senior District Judge.

SYNOPSIS

Pending before the Court are Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment. (Docket Nos. 8 and 12). Both parties have filed Briefs in Support of their Motions. (Docket Nos. 9 and 13). Plaintiff also filed a Reply Brief. (Docket No. 14). After careful consideration of the submissions of the parties, and based on my Opinion set forth below, Defendant’s Motion (Docket No. 12) is denied and Plaintiffs Motion (Docket No. 8) is granted to the extent that the case is remanded to the Commissioner for further proceedings consistent with the Opinion that follows.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff has brought this action for review of the final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner”) denying her application for Disability Insurance Benefits (“DIB”) under Title II of the Social Security Act (the “Act”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 401-433. Plaintiff applied for DIB on or about January 6, 2010. In her application, she alleged that since July 15, 2009, she had been disabled due to head trauma. (R. 11, 127, 144). Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) David F. Brash held a hearing on September 2, 2011, at which Plaintiff was represented by counsel. (R. 24-56). Plaintiff appeared at the hearing and testified on her own behalf. Id. A vocational expert also was present at the hearing and testified. (R. 50-55). In a decision dated October 7, 2011, the ALJ found that jobs existed in significant numbers in the national economy that Plaintiff could perform and, therefore, that Plaintiff was not disabled under the Act. (R. 11-23). Plaintiff requested review of the ALJ’s determination by the Appeals Council, and, on October 16, 2012, the Appeals Council denied Plaintiffs request for review. (R. 1-3). Having exhausted all of her administrative remedies, Plaintiff filed this action.

[435]*435The parties have filed Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment. (Docket Nos. 8 and 12). Plaintiff raises five main issues on appeal:

1. Whether the ALJ erred by failing to evaluate the effects of Plaintiffs post-concussive headaches on her ability to work on a regular and continuing basis. See Pl.’s Br. [EOF No. 9] at 5-8.
2. Whether the ALJ’s credibility finding is insufficient as a matter of law. Id. at 9-11.
3. AVhether the Court should issue an immediate award of benefits because the ALJ erred in finding that Plaintiff was able to perform competitive work. Id. at 12.
4. AVhether the ALJ failed to address the limitations set forth in the medical opinion of the state agency physician who reviewed the file. Id. at 13-15.
5. AVhether the ALJ erroneously failed to include Plaintiffs use of a cane in his RFC determination and hypothetical question to the VE. Id. at 15-18.

The issues are now ripe for my review.

II. LEGAL ANALYSIS

A. STANDARD OF REVIEW

The standard of review in social security cases is whether substantial evidence exists in the record to support the Commissioner’s decision. Allen v. Bowen, 881 F.2d 37, 39 (3d Cir.1989). Substantial evidence has been defined as “more than a mere scintilla. It means such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate.” Ventura v. Shalala, 55 F.3d 900, 901 (3d Cir.1995) (quoting Richardson v. Perales, 402 U.S. 389, 401, 91 S.Ct. 1420, 28 L.Ed.2d 842 (1971)). Determining whether substantial evidence exists is “not merely a quantitative exercise.” Gilliland v. Heckler, 786 F.2d 178, 183 (3d Cir.1986) (citing Kent v. Schweiker, 710 F.2d 110, 114 (3d Cir.1983)). “A single piece of evidence will not satisfy the substantiality test if the secretary ignores, or fails to resolve, a conflict created by countervailing evidence. Nor is evidence substantial if it is overwhelmed by other evidence — particularly certain types of evidence (e.g., that offered by treating physicians).” Id. The Commissioner’s findings of fact, if supported by substantial evidence, are conclusive. 42 U.S.C. § 405(g); Dobrowolsky v. Califano, 606 F.2d 403, 406 (3d Cir.1979). A district court cannot conduct a de novo review of the Commissioner’s decision or re-weigh the evidence of record. Palmer v. Apfel, 995 F.Supp. 549, 552 (E.D.Pa.1998). AVhere the ALJ’s findings of fact are supported by substantial evidence, a court is bound by those findings, even if the court would have decided the factual inquiry differently. Hartranft v. Apfel, 181 F.3d 358, 360 (3d Cir.1999). To determine whether a finding is supported by substantial evidence, the district court must review the record as a whole. See 5 U.S.C. § 706.

To be eligible for social security benefits, the plaintiff must demonstrate that she cannot engage in substantial gainful activity because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months. 42 U.S.C. § 1382(a)(3)(A); Brewster v. Heckler, 786 F.2d 581, 583 (3d Cir.1986).

The Commissioner has provided the ALJ with a five-step sequential analysis to use when evaluating the disabled status of each claimant. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a). The ALJ must determine: (1) whether the claimant is currently engaged in substan[436]*436tial gainful activity; (2) if not, whether the claimant has a severe impairment; (3) if the claimant has .a severe impairment, whether it meets or equals the criteria listed in 20 C.F.R. pt. 404, subpt. P, app. 1; (4) if the impairment does not satisfy one of the impairment listings, whether the claimant’s impairments prevent her from performing her past relevant work; and (5) if the claimant is incapable of performing her past relevant work, whether she can perform any other work which exists in the national economy, in light of her age, education, work experience and residual functional capacity. 20 C.F.R.

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Related

Richardson v. Perales
402 U.S. 389 (Supreme Court, 1971)
Arthur Poulos v. Commissioner of Social Security
474 F.3d 88 (Third Circuit, 2007)
Johnson v. Commissioner of Social Security
529 F.3d 198 (Third Circuit, 2008)
Palmer v. Apfel
995 F. Supp. 549 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1998)
Zied v. Astrue
347 F. App'x 862 (Third Circuit, 2009)

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Bluebook (online)
1 F. Supp. 3d 432, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20230, 2014 WL 641544, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trauterman-v-colvin-pawd-2014.