Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-90-05183/USCOURTS-ca10-90-05183-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 863
Nature of Suit: Social Security - DIWC/DIWW (405(g))
Cause of Action: 

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FI LED 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALg.Tnite-1 S_~tes Cm!rt C:f Appeals .. enth Ctrcutt 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT JUN 10 1991 

PEGGY J. O'DONNELL, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, 

v. 

LOUIS W. SULLIVAN, M.D., Secretary of 

Health and Human Services, 

Defendant-Appellee. 

ROBERT L. HOECKER 

> Clerk 

) 

) 

) 

) No. 90-5183 

) (D.C. No. 83-C-628-E) 

) ( N. D. Okla. ) 

) 

) 

) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Before McKAY, SETH, and SEYMOUR, Circuit Judges. 

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel 

has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially 

assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P . 

34(a); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. 

submitted without oral argument. 

The case is therefore ordered 

Claimant Peggy J. O'Donnell appeals from the district court's 

judgment affirming the Secretary of Health and Human Services' 

denial of her application for disability insurance benefits and 

supplemental security income benefits. Claimant's initial 

* This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall 

not be cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, 

except for purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of 

the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 

36.3. 

Appellate Case: 90-5183 Document: 010110118877 Date Filed: 06/10/1991 Page: 1 
application for benefits was denied. Because a transcript of the 

initial hearing could not be prepared, the Appeals Council 

remanded the case. Following a second de nova hearing, the 

Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) denied claimant's application; the 

Appeals Council affirmed that decision. The district court 

remanded the case back to the Secretary and the Appeals Council 

remanded it back to the ALJ, consistent with the ruling in Hansen 

v. Heckler, 783 F.2d 170 (10th Cir. 1986). A third hearing was 

held, after which the ALJ again denied claimant's application. 

The Appeals Council adopted the ALJ's findings and conclusion. 

After a hearing in district court, the United States magistrate 

judge issued his findings and recommendation that claimant be 

denied benefits, on February 6, 1990. The district court adopted 

the magistrate judge's findings and recommendation, denying 

claimant's application for benefits on June 22, 1990. 

The Appeals Council's adoption of the ALJ's decision 

represents the Secretary's final decision for appeal purposes. 

Williams v. Bowen, 844 F.2d 748, 749 (10th Cir. 1988). Judicial 

review of the Secretary's determination is limited; the court's 

only function is to determine whether the record as a whole 

contains substantial evidence to support the Secretary's decision. 

Id. at 750. The Secretary's findings stand if they are supported 

by "'such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as 

adequate to support a conclusion.'" Broadbent v. Harris, 698 F.2d 

407, 414 (10th Cir. 1983)(quoting Richardson v. Perales, 402 U.S. 

389, 401 (1971)). 

2 

Appellate Case: 90-5183 Document: 010110118877 Date Filed: 06/10/1991 Page: 2 
. ,,.. ~ -

On appeal, claimant contends that 1) the ALJ's conclusion 

that she could perform her past relevant work was not supported by 

substantial evidence, 2) the ALJ improperly concluded that 

claimant's testimony was not credible, and 3) the ALJ failed to 

give the proper weight to her treating physicians' opinions. 

Based on our careful review of the entire appellate record 

and the parties' briefs, we conclude that substantial evidence 

supports the Secretary's finding that claimant was not disabled. 

Therefore, for substantially the same reasons contained in the 

findings and recommendations of United States magistrate judge, 

dated February 6, 1990, as adopted by the district court, the 

judgment of the United States District Court for the Northern 

District of Oklahoma is AFFIRMED. 

Entered for the Court 

Monroe G. McKay 

Circuit Judge 

3 

Appellate Case: 90-5183 Document: 010110118877 Date Filed: 06/10/1991 Page: 3