United States District Court, E.D. Oklahoma
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
KIMBERLY E. WEST UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
Plaintiff
Kenneth Ray Oakball (the “Claimant”) requests
judicial review of the decision of the Commissioner of the
Social Security Administration (the
“Commissioner”) denying Claimant's
application for disability benefits under the Social Security
Act. Claimant appeals the decision of the Administrative Law
Judge (“ALJ”) and asserts that the Commissioner
erred because the ALJ incorrectly determined that Claimant
was not disabled. For the reasons discussed below, it is the
recommendation of the undersigned that the Commissioner's
decision be AFFIRMED.
Social
Security Law and Standard of Review
Disability
under the Social Security Act is defined as the
“inability to engage in any substantial gainful
activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or
mental impairment. . .” 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(A).
A claimant is disabled under the Social Security Act
“only if his physical or mental impairment or
impairments are of such severity that he is not only unable
to do his previous work but cannot, considering his age,
education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of
substantial gainful work which exists in the national
economy. . .” 42 U.S.C. §423(d)(2)(A). Social
Security regulations implement a five-step sequential process
to evaluate a disability claim. See, 20 C.F.R.
§§ 404.1520, 416.920.[1]
Judicial
review of the Commissioner's determination is limited in
scope by 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). This Court's review is
limited to two inquiries: first, whether the decision was
supported by substantial evidence; and, second, whether the
correct legal standards were applied. Hawkins v.
Chater, 113 F.3d 1162, 1164 (10th Cir. 1997)(citation
omitted). The term “substantial evidence” has
been interpreted by the United States Supreme Court to
require “more than a mere scintilla. It means such
relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as
adequate to support a conclusion.” Richardson v.
Perales, 402 U.S. 389, 401 (1971) (quoting
Consolidated Edison Co. v. NLRB, 305 U.S. 197, 229
(1938)). The court may not re-weigh the evidence nor
substitute its discretion for that of the agency. Casias
v. Secretary of Health & Human Servs., 933 F.2d 799,
800 (10th Cir. 1991). Nevertheless, the court must review the
record as a whole, and the “substantiality of the
evidence must take into account whatever in the record fairly
detracts from its weight.” Universal Camera Corp.
v. NLRB, 340 U.S. 474, 488 (1951); see also,
Casias, 933 F.2d at 800-01.
Claimant's
Background
Claimant
was born on April 16, 1961 and was 53 years old at the time
of the ALJ's decision. Claimant obtained her GED.
Claimant has worked in the past as a forklift operator,
cutoff saw operator, and heavy equipment operator. Claimant
alleges an inability to work beginning February 1, 2006 due
to limitations resulting from degenerative disc disease,
status post lumbar spine fusion, diabetes mellitus, sleep
apnea, abdominal aortic aneurysm, diverticular disease, and
obesity.
Procedural
History
On July
20, 2012, Claimant protectively filed for disability
insurance benefits under Title II (42 U.S.C. § 401,
et seq.) and for supplemental security income
pursuant to Title XVI (42 U.S.C. § 1381, et
seq.) of the Social Security Act. Claimant's
applications were denied initially and upon reconsideration.
On February 25, 2014, Administrative Law Judge
(“ALJ”) Deborah L. Rose conducted an
administrative hearing by video with Claimant appearing in
Muskogee, Oklahoma and the ALJ presiding in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
On May 29, 2014, the ALJ issued an unfavorable decision. On
October 5, 2015, the Appeals Council declined to review the
ALJ's decision. As a result, the decision of the ALJ
represents the Commissioner's final decision for purposes
of further appeal. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.981, 416.1481.
Decision
of the Administrative Law Judge
The ALJ
made her decision at step five of the sequential evaluation.
She determined that while Claimant suffered from severe
impairments, he retained the RFC to perform less than a full
range of light work with limitations.
Error
Alleged for Review
Claimant
asserts the ALJ committed error in failing to justify in the
evidence the ALJ's RFC determination by producing a
required “narrative discussion” supporting the
decision.
RFC
...