United States District Court, W.D. Arkansas, Hot Springs Division
MEMORANDUM OPINION
HON.
BARRY A. BRYANT, U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE
Amber
Markey (“Plaintiff”) brings this action pursuant
to § 205(g) of Title II of the Social Security Act
(“The Act”), 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) (2006),
seeking judicial review of a final decision of the
Commissioner of the Social Security Administration
(“SSA”) denying her applications for Disability
Insurance Benefits (“DIB”) and Supplemental
Security Income (“SSI”) under Titles II and XVI
of the Act. The parties have consented to the jurisdiction of
a magistrate judge to conduct any and all proceedings in this
case, including conducting the trial, ordering the entry of a
final judgment, and conducting all post-judgment proceedings.
ECF No. 7.[1] Pursuant to this authority, the Court
issues this memorandum opinion and orders the entry of a
final judgment in this matter.
1.
Background:
Plaintiff's
applications for DIB and SSI were filed on November 15, 2012.
(Tr. 10). Plaintiff alleged she was disabled due to
fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD), Graves Disease, hypothyroidism, migraines,
bilateral shoulder pain, neck pain, and insomnia. (Tr. 219).
Plaintiff alleged an onset date of May 30, 2009. (Tr. 10,
219). These applications were denied initially and again upon
reconsideration. (Tr. 10). Thereafter, Plaintiff requested an
administrative hearing on her applications and this hearing
request was granted. (Tr. 147).
Plaintiff's
administrative hearing was held on May 5, 2014. (Tr. 32-67).
Plaintiff was present and was represented by counsel, Shannon
Carroll, at this hearing. Id. Plaintiff and
testified at this hearing and Vocational Expert
(“VE”) Stefanie Ford was present. Id. At
the time of this hearing, Plaintiff was thirty-two (32) years
old and had a high school education. (Tr. 39).
On
January 28, 2015, the ALJ entered an unfavorable decision
denying Plaintiff's applications for DIB and SSI. (Tr.
10-26). In this decision, the ALJ determined Plaintiff met
the insured status requirements of the Act through June 30,
2014. (Tr. 12, Finding 1). The ALJ also determined Plaintiff
had not engaged in Substantial Gainful Activity
(“SGA”) since May 30, 2009, his alleged onset
date. (Tr. 12, Finding 2).
The ALJ
also determined Plaintiff had the severe impairments of
hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, intermittent headaches,
intermittently exacerbated musculoskeletal joint pain. (Tr.
12, Finding 3). The ALJ then determined Plaintiff's
impairments did not meet or medically equal the requirements
of any of the Listing of Impairments in Appendix 1 to Subpart
P of Regulations No. 4 (“Listings”). (Tr. 14,
Finding 4).
In this
decision, the ALJ evaluated Plaintiff's subjective
complaints and determined her RFC. (Tr. 14-25). First, the
ALJ indicated he evaluated Plaintiff's subjective
complaints and found her claimed limitations were not
entirely credible. Id. Second, the ALJ determined
Plaintiff retained the RFC to perform light work and could
lift or carry 20 pounds occasionally and 10 pounds
frequently; sit, stand, or walk for six hours; occasionally
climb ladders, ropes, or scaffolds; occasionally balance,
stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; occasionally reach overhead
with the bilateral upper extremities with an unlimited
ability to handle, finger, or feel; and had no limitations
related to vision, communication, or environment. (Tr. 14,
Finding 5).
The ALJ
evaluated Plaintiff's Past Relevant Work
(“PRW”). (Tr. 25, Finding 6). The ALJ found
Plaintiff was capable of performing her PRW as a retail
cashier and grocery clerk. Id. Based upon this
finding, the ALJ determined Plaintiff had not been under a
disability as defined by the Act from May 30, 2009, through
the date of the decision. (Tr. 26, Finding 7).
Thereafter,
Plaintiff requested the Appeals Council review the ALJ's
decision. (Tr. 6). See 20 C.F.R. § 404.968. The
Appeals Council declined to review this unfavorable decision.
(Tr. 1-4). On May 19, 2016, Plaintiff filed the present
appeal. ECF No. 1. The Parties consented to the jurisdiction
of this Court on May 20, 2016. ECF No. 7. Both Parties have
filed appeal briefs. ECF Nos. 11, 12. This case is now ready
for decision.
2.
Applicable Law:
In
reviewing this case, this Court is required to determine
whether the Commissioner's findings are supported by
substantial evidence on the record as a whole. See
42 U.S.C. § 405(g) (2006); Ramirez v. Barnhart,
292 F.3d 576, 583 (8th Cir. 2002). Substantial evidence is
less than a preponderance of the evidence, but it is enough
that a reasonable mind would find it adequate to support the
Commissioner's decision. See Johnson v. Apfel,
240 F.3d 1145, 1147 (8th Cir. 2001). As long as there is
substantial evidence in the record that supports the
Commissioner's decision, the Court may not reverse it
simply because substantial evidence exists in the record that
would have supported a contrary outcome or because the Court
would have decided the case differently. See Haley v.
Massanari, 258 F.3d 742, 747 (8th Cir. 2001). If, after
reviewing the record, it is possible to draw two inconsistent
positions from the evidence and one of those positions
represents the findings of the ALJ, the decision of the ALJ
must be affirmed. See Young v. Apfel, 221 F.3d 1065,
1068 (8th Cir. 2000).
It is
well established that a claimant for Social Security
disability benefits has the burden of proving his or her
disability by establishing a physical or mental disability
that lasted at least one year and that prevents him or her
from engaging in any substantial gainful activity. See
Cox v. Apfel, 160 F.3d 1203, 1206 (8th Cir. 1998); 42
U.S.C. §§ 423(d)(1)(A), 1382c(a)(3)(A). The Act
defines a “physical or mental impairment” as
“an impairment that results from anatomical,
physiological, or psychological abnormalities which are
demonstrable by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory
diagnostic techniques.” 42 U.S.C. §§
423(d)(3), 1382(3)(c). A plaintiff must show that his or her
disability, not simply his or her impairment, has lasted for
at least twelve consecutive months. See 42 U.S.C.
§ 423(d)(1)(A).
To
determine whether the adult claimant suffers from a
disability, the Commissioner uses the familiar five-step
sequential evaluation. He determines: (1) whether the
claimant is presently engaged in a “substantial gainful
activity”; (2) whether the claimant has a severe
impairment that significantly limits the claimant's
physical or mental ability to perform basic work activities;
(3) whether the claimant has an impairment that meets or
equals a presumptively disabling impairment listed in the
regulations (if so, the claimant is disabled without regard
to age, education, and work experience); (4) whether the
claimant has the Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) to
perform his or her past relevant work; and (5) if the
claimant cannot perform the past work, the burden shifts to
the Commissioner to prove that there are other jobs in the
national economy that the claimant can perform. See
Cox, 160 F.3d at 1206; 20 C.F.R. ...