Williams v. Bisignano

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Georgia
DecidedJune 16, 2025
Docket1:24-cv-00162
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Williams v. Bisignano, (S.D. Ga. 2025).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA

AUGUSTA DIVISION

BLONDELL WILLIAMS, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) CV 124-162 ) FRANK BISIGNANO, Commissioner ) of Social Security Administration, ) ) Defendant.1 ) _________

O R D E R _________ Blondell Williams appeals the decision of the Commissioner of Social Security (“the Commissioner”) denying her application for Disability Insurance Benefits (“DIB”) under the Social Security Act. Upon consideration of the briefs submitted by both parties, the record evidence, and the relevant statutory and case law, the Court, pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), REVERSES the Commissioner’s final decision and REMANDS the case to the Commissioner for further consideration in accordance with this opinion.2 I. BACKGROUND Plaintiff applied for DIB on March 8, 2023, alleging a disability onset date of January 13, 2023. Tr. (“R.”), pp. 10, 65, 183, 241. Plaintiff was fifty-nine years old on her alleged onset date,

1Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(d), the Court DIRECTS the CLERK to substitute Frank Bisignano, Commissioner of Social Security Administration, as the proper Defendant.

2The parties have consented to having a Magistrate Judge conduct all proceedings, including the entry of final judgment. (See doc. nos. 10, 11.) and was sixty-one years old at the time the Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) issued the decision currently under consideration. R. 25, 180. Plaintiff alleged disability based on: blind or low

vision, musculoskeletal disorder (neck, shoulder, knees), back disorder, fibromyalgia, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. R. 66, 231. Plaintiff reported obtaining a four-year college degree in business management, (R. 39), and performing twenty-years of active military service, (R. 41, 69). Prior to her alleged disability date, Plaintiff had also accrued a history of past relevant work that included administrative assistant and family readiness support assistant. R. 24, 40-42, 284. The Social Security Administration denied Plaintiff’s application initially and on

reconsideration. R. 89-92, 96-98. Plaintiff requested a hearing before an ALJ, (R. 99-102), and the ALJ held a hearing by telephone on June 4, 2024, (R. 34, 37). Represented by counsel,3 Plaintiff appeared and testified, as did a vocational expert (“VE”). R. 34-58. On July 5, 2024, the ALJ issued a decision finding Plaintiff not disabled. Applying the sequential process required by 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520, the ALJ found: 1. The claimant meets the insured status requirements of the Social Security Act through December 31, 2027, and has not engaged in substantial gainful activity since January 13, 2023, the alleged onset date (20 C.F.R. 404.1571 et seq.).

2. The claimant has the following severe impairments: cervical degenerative disc disease; lumbar radiculopathy; left shoulder osteoarthritis; right foot osteoarthritis; neuropathy; plantar fascial fibromatosis; fibromyalgia; sleep apnea; and obesity (20 C.F.R. 404.1520(c)).

3. The claimant does not have an impairment or combination of impairments that meets or medically equals the severity of one of the listed impairments in 20 C.F.R. Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1 (20 C.F.R. 404.1520(d). 404.1525, and 404.1526).

3Plaintiff is represented by a different attorney in these federal court proceedings. 4. After careful consideration of the entire record, the undersigned finds that the claimant has the residual functional capacity (“RFC”) to perform light work as defined in 20 C.F.R. § 404.1567(b),4 including the ability to occasionally lift and/or carry 20 pounds and frequently lift and/or carry 10 pounds; sit for six hours and stand and/or walk for six hours. Additionally she can frequently use push/pull foot and hand controls. She could frequently reach, handle, and finger. The claimant can climb ramps and stairs occasionally; never climb ladders, ropes, or scaffolds; never balance, stoop occasionally, kneel occasionally, crouch occasionally, and crawl occasionally. The claimant can work at unprotected heights occasionally and near moving mechanical parts occasionally. The claimant is capable of performing past relevant work as an administrative assistant because this work does not require the performance of work-related activities precluded by the claimant’s RFC (20 C.F.R. § 404.1565).

R. 13-24. Because the ALJ determined Plaintiff could perform her past relevant work, the sequential evaluation process stopped, and the ALJ concluded Plaintiff was not under a disability, as defined in the Social Security Act, from January 13, 2023, the alleged onset date, through the date of the administrative decision, July 5, 2024. R. 24-25. When the Appeals Council denied Plaintiff’s request for review, R. 1-5, the Commissioner’s decision became “final” for the purpose of judicial review. 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). Plaintiff then filed this civil action requesting reversal or remand of

4“Light work” is defined as: lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may be very little, a job is in this category when it requires a good deal of walking or standing, or when it involves sitting most of the time with some pushing and pulling of arm or leg controls. To be considered capable of performing a full or wide range of light work, you must have the ability to do substantially all of these activities. If someone can do light work, we determine that he or she can also do sedentary work, unless there are additional limiting factors such as loss of fine dexterity or inability to sit for long periods of time.

20 C.F.R. § 404.1567(b). that adverse decision. Plaintiff argues the administrative decision is not supported by substantial evidence because the ALJ failed to articulate an evaluation of the consistency and supportability

of the medical opinion of Tammara G. Bryan, Ph.D., thereby failing to explain why Dr. Bryan’s overall opinion was “mostly persuasive” but “less persuasive” regarding the mild to moderate social interaction limitation. See Pl.’s Br., doc. no. 9; Reply Br., doc. no. 17. Moreover, the ALJ failed to include any mental limitations in the RFC despite the mild to moderate limitations found by Dr. Bryan and apparently accepted as “mostly persuasive,” including an opinion that Plaintiff could understand and follow through with simple instructions but was mildly limited in her ability to follow through with more detailed and multi-step instructions. See Pl.’s Br.; Reply Br. The

Commissioner maintains the administrative decision is supported by substantial evidence and should therefore be affirmed. See Comm’r’s Br., doc. no. 16. II.

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Williams v. Bisignano, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-bisignano-gasd-2025.