Thompson v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 1:2018cv00025 - Document 20 (W.D. Ky. 2018)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER by Magistrate Judge Lanny King on 11/16/2018. The final decision of the Commissioner is AFFIRMED, and Plaintiff's complaint is DISMISSED. cc: Counsel (CDF)
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Thompson v. Commissioner of Social Security MARCUS A. THOMPSON Doc. 20 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN DIVISION CIVIL ACTION NO. : 8 CV 5 LLK PLAINTIFF DEFENDANT v. NANY A. BERRYHILL, Acti g Co issio er of Social Security MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This atte is efo e the Cou t o Plai tiff's Co plai t seeki g judi ial e ie , pu sua t to U.“.C. § g , of the fi al de isio of the Co e efits. Plai tiff’s fa t a d la su Do ket # dete issio e de i g his lai fo “o ial “e u it disa ilit a is at Do ket # , a d Defe da t’s fa t a d la su a is at . The pa ties ha e o se ted to the ju isdi tio of the u de sig ed agist ate judge to i e this ase, ith a appeal l i g efo e the “i th Ci uit Cou t of Appeals. Do ket # atte is ipe fo dete . The i atio . Be ause Plai tiff’s th ee a gu e ts a e u pe suasi e, the Cou t ill AFFIRM the Co issio e ’s fi al de isio a d DI“MI““ Plai tiff’s Co plai t. The ALJ’s decisio The ad i ist ati e la judge ALJ fou d that Plai tiff is ot disa led pu sua t to the ell esta lished step se ue tial e aluatio p o ess. Ad i ist ati e Re o d AR , pp. . Fi st, the ALJ fou d that, e ept fo a u su essful o k atte pt, Plai tiff has ot e gaged i su sta tial gai ful a ti it fo o ti uous o ths si e “epte e , he he alleges he e a e disa led. AR, pp. . “e o d, the ALJ fou d that Plai tiff has se e e, o o atio all sig ifi a t, i pai e ts: the esiduals f o a ope edu tio a d i te al fi atio of a ight a eta ula f a tu e, dege e ati e The a eta ulu is the he isphe i o up shaped hollo i the side of the hip o e hi h e ei es the ou ded uppe e d the head of the fe u o thigh o e a d ith it fo s the all a d so ket joi t of the hip. Reese v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec., No. : , WL . “.D. I d. Fe . , . Dockets.Justia.com e i al a d lu a dis disease, ight shoulde osteoa th itis, o esit , di i ished isio a uit , a d a iet ith a postt au ati st ess diso de . AR, p. i pai p. e t satisf i g the li i al ite ia of a i pai . Thi d, the ALJ fou d that Plai tiff has o e t listed i Appe di of the egulatio s. AR, . As e ui ed i a ase that ad a es e o d step , the ALJ dete i ed Plai tiff’s esidual fu tio al apa it RFC ased o the edi al a d o edi al e ide e as a hole . The ALJ fou d that Plai tiff has a RFC fo a li ited a ge of sede ta o k, hi h, sitti g pe hou o kda , ith a optio to sit a d sta d at i ute i te als taki g a i ute o t o to ha ge positio s th oughout the o kda . AR, p. to pe fo a past ele a t o k. AR, p. the Fe ua e o o , . Fou th, the ALJ fou d that Plai tiff is u a le . Fifth, the ALJ fou d that Plai tiff is ot disa led th ough de isio date e ause a sig ifi a t u that he a pe fo defi itio , e ui es hou s of . AR, pp. e of sede ta jo s e ist i the atio al . Discussio Follo i g e a d f o the Appeals Cou il fo fu the ad i ist ati e p o eedi gs AR, pp. , Plai tiff as e a i ed i Ju e , at the e uest of the ALJ Edga A. Lopez “ues u , M.D. D . Lopez “ues u o pleted the sta da d ph si al assess e t fo Plai tiff a sit fo a total of hou s pe hou o kda a d AR, p. fi di g, a o g othe thi gs, that i utes at a ti e ithout i te uptio . . This fi di g is o e est i ti e tha the ALJ’s fi di g that Plai tiff a sit fo a total of hou s pe hou o kda a d i utes at a ti e ithout i te uptio . Fi st, Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i de li i g to defe to D . Lopez “ues u ’s opi io ega di g his a ilit to sit. The ALJ as ot e ui ed to defe to D . Lopez “ues u ’s opi io e ause: See “o . “e . Rul. , WL , at * The full a ge of sede ta o k o te plates that pe iods of sta di g o alki g should ge e all total o o e tha a out hou s of a hou o kda a d sitti g should ge e all total app o i atel hou s of a hou o kda . Rega di g Plai tiff’s a ilit to sit, the o t olli g o atio al h potheti al o te plated the follo i g li itatio s: Assu e this h potheti al i di idual [has] the apa it fo sta di g a d alki g o o e tha t o hou s total i a o k da , apa it fo sitti g si hou s i a o k da ith a optio to sit a d sta d at i ute i te als th oughout the o k da , taki g a i ute o t o to ha ge positio . AR, p. . At the ad i ist ati e hea i g, Plai tiff testified that he a sit d i e fo e ui i g a positio ha ge AR, p. i utes at a ti e efo e ; D . Lopez “ues u ’s opi io that Plai tiff a sit fo o l i utes at a ti e is i o siste t ith his fi di g i his a ati e epo t that Plai tiff sa s that he is a le to sit fo i utes at a ti e AR, p. ; a d I O to e p e e a d the Co o e a i i g o sulta t, Ja k Reed, M.D., opi ed that Plai tiff a sit ith o a out hou s i a hou o kda issio e ’s al eaks fo a total of ith o eed fo a sit/sta d optio spe ified AR, p. fou d D . Reed’s assess e t AR, pp. . The ALJ to e ge e all pe suasi e as it is o siste t ith the lo gitudi al t eat e t histo a d the o se ati e ou se of t eat e t that oth the p i a a e p o ide a d the spe ialists ha e follo ed fo the lai a t’s us uloskeletal o plai ts. AR, p. “e o d, Plai tiff a gues that the ALJ e ed i a epti g D . Reed’s O to e e ause it as stale, o old, at the ti e of the ALJ’s Fe ua . assess e t de isio . While Plai tiff is o e t that D . Reed’s opi io as a it stale, the stale ess as ot e e si le e o i this ase fo th ee easo s. Fi st, the e is o o t a t eati g ph si ia opi io suppo ti g Plai tiff’s disa ilit lai Comm’r of Soc. Sec., F. d , th Ci . . See Blakley v. Whe e the ALJ p efe ed the o e a i i g sou e opi io o e the su se ue t opi io of the t eati g sou e, e e ui e so e i di atio that the ALJ at least o side ed these fa ts [i.e., the su se ue t edi al e ide e o side ed the t eati g sou e] efo e gi i g g eate eight to a opi io that is ot ased o a e ie of a o plete ase e o d . “e o d, the e is o e ide e that D . Lopez “ues u ’s opi io as ased o a e ie of the o plete ase e o d. His opi io appea s to ha e ee ased p i a il o a o e ti e g oss ph si al e a i atio o u i g o Ju e AR, pp. , , plus hat Plai tiff told hi a out his pai a d othe su je ti e s pto s. . Thi d, the ALJ o side ed the su se ue t edi al e ide e. See, e.g., ALJ’s de isio at AR, pp. a d dis ussi g MRI e ide e of he iated u leus pulposus at C C a d C C at AR, p. a d desi atio at L “ at AR, p. . The e ill al a s e a gap et ee the ti e the age e pe ts e ie the e o d a d gi e thei opi io s a d the ti e the hea i g de isio is issued. Kelly v. Comm'r, F. App' , th Ci . . A se t a lea sho i g that the e e ide e e de s the p io opi io u te a le, the e e fa t that a gap e ists does ot a a t the e pe se a d dela of a judi ial e a d. Id. Plai tiff’s thi d a d fi al a gu e t is that the ALJ e ed i fi di g that he ust a oid o e head o k usi g the ight uppe e t e it AR, p. lifti g [is] li ited to o asio al AR, p. i light of D . Reed’s fi di g that his ilate al o e head . The a gu e t is u pe suasi e fo t o easo s. Fi st, the ALJ as e titled to el o D . Lopez “ues u ’s fi di g that Plai tiff a e e o e head ea h ith the ight ha d ut a f e ue tl o e head ea h ith the left ha d. AR, p. to sho a ha pe fo , i.e., that the sede ta jo s the ALJ fou d he a pe fo ed ith o o e head ea hi g ith the ight a ith the left a . “e o d, Plai tiff has failed , although the a e , e ui e o e tha o asio al o e head ea hi g . Order The fi al de isio of the Co issio e is AFFIRMED, a d Plai tiff’s o plai t is DI“MI““ED. November 16, 2018
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