Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-almd-1_06-cv-00338/USCOURTS-almd-1_06-cv-00338-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 864
Nature of Suit: Social Security - SSID Title XVI
Cause of Action: 42:405 Review of HHS Decision (SSID)

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IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

SOUTHERN DIVISION

SONJA E. HAND, )

)

Plaintiff, )

)

v. ) CIVIL ACTION NO. 1:06cv338-SRW

) (WO)

MICHAEL J. ASTRUE, )

Commissioner of Social Security, )

)

Defendant. )

ORDER

Plaintiff brought the present action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) seeking judicial

review of a decision by the Commissioner of Social Security denying her benefits under the

Social Security Act. On April 12, 2007, this court reversed the decision of the Commissioner

and remanded the case for further proceedings pursuant to sentence four of § 405(g).

Plaintiff has filed a motion (Doc. # 18) for an award of attorney’s fees under the Equal

Access to Justice Act (“EAJA”), 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A). Plaintiff’s application seeks

fees in the total amount of $3,402.56 for 21 hours of work before this court and $350.00 in

costs for the filing fee. The Commissioner does not contest the amount of the fee sought by

plaintiff. Upon an independent review of the record, the court concludes that the position of

the Commissioner in this litigation was not substantially justified and, further, that an award

of $3,402.56 is reasonable.

Plaintiff’s motion requests that the award of fees be made to her attorneys. Defendant

objects to this request. The court heard oral argument in a telephone conference and allowed

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the parties to file briefs directed to this issue. For the reasons stated in Crittenden v. Astrue,

Civil Action No. 2:05cv616-SRW (Doc. # 32), the court concludes that the EAJA fee award

is payable to the plaintiff. 

CONCLUSION

Accordingly, it is

ORDERED that plaintiff’s motion for attorney’s fees (Doc. # 18) is GRANTED to the

extent that plaintiff is awarded EAJA fees in the amount of $3,402.56 and costs in the

amount of $350.00.

DONE, this 30th day of October, 2007.

/s/ Susan Russ Walker 

SUSAN RUSS WALKER

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:06-cv-00338-SRW Document 29 Filed 10/30/07 Page 2 of 2