Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-88-02242/USCOURTS-ca10-88-02242-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Otis R. Bowen
Appellee
Edward R. Lingo
Appellant

Document Text:

... FILED 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT 

United States Courc of Appeals 

Tenth Circuit 

AUG 8 1989 

ROBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

EDWARD R. LINGO, ) 

) 

Plaintiff-Appellant, ) 

) 

V • ) 

) 

OTIS R. BOWEN, M.D., ) 

Secretary of Health and Human ) 

Services, ) 

) 

Defendant-Appellee. ) 

No. 88-2242 

(D. C. No. 88-Z-275) 

(D. Colo.) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Before MOORE, ANDERSON, and BRORBY, 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(1); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. 

submitted without oral argument. 

The cause is therefore ordered 

Lingo applied for Supplemental Security Income benefits under 

Title XVI of the Social Security Act based on his claim of 

disability due to the combined effects of back pain, headaches, 

* 

be 

for 

res 

This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall not 

cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, except 

purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of the case, 

judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 36.3. 

Appellate Case: 88-2242 Document: 01019974367 Date Filed: 08/08/1989 Page: 1 
poor vision, and chronic alcoholism. 

(ALJ) denied benefits and found 

The administrative law judge 

no disability. The Appeals 

Council denied Lingo's request for review. The ALJ's decision 

became the final decision of the Secretary. 20 C.F.R. § 416.1481. 

Li ngo appealed the decision to the United States District Court 

fo r the District of Colorado, which affirmed. 

Lingo appeals the decision asserting: the ALJ gave improper 

weight to the treating physician's opinion; the ALJ failed to 

consider the allegations of pain; the ALJ failed to find Lingo 

d isabled by his chronic alcoholism although it is listed as an 

i mpairment in the regulations; the ALJ failed to consider the 

i mpact of all Lingo's impairments together; and the decision is 

not supported by substantial evidence. We find the ALJ's decision 

was supported by substantial evidence and AFFIRM. 

The Secretary's determination on the issue of disability will 

be affirmed if it is supported by substantial evidence. Fierro v. 

Bowen, 798 F.2d 1351, 1355 (10th Cir. 1986), cert. denied, 480 

U. S. 945 (1987); 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). Substantial evidence is 

d efined as "such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might 

a ccept as adequate to support a conclusion." Richardson v. 

Pe rales, 402 U.S. 389, 401 (1971) (quoting Consolidated Edison Co. 

v. NLRB, 305 U.S. 197, 229 (1938); Turner v. Heckler, 754 F.2d 

32 6, 328 (10th Cir. 1985). 

1. Treating physician's opinion 

Lingo claims the Secretary did not properly consider or give 

-2-

Appellate Case: 88-2242 Document: 01019974367 Date Filed: 08/08/1989 Page: 2 
sufficient weight to Lingo's treating physician's opinion. The 

Secretary must give substantial weight to the evidence and opinion 

of the claimant's treating physician, unless the Secretary gives 

specific, legitimate reasons for his rejection of the opinion. 

Reyes v. Bowen, 845 F.2d 242, 244-45 (10th Cir. 1988). In the 

ALJ's decision he rejected the opinion of Dr. Villalon and stated 

several reasons including the doctor's conclusions were not 

supported by any clinical or treatment notes, the doctor's 

conclusions were inconsistent with the balance of the evidence in 

the record, and the doctor was not qualified as a treating 

physician because he had no regular contact with the claimant in 

recent years and had not prescribed any treatment for the 

claimant's alleged problems. 

A treating physician's report may be rejected if it is brief, 

conclusory and unsupported by medical evidence. Bernal v. Bowen, 

851 F.2d 297, 301 (10th Cir. 1988). Dr. Villalon's report 

discusses the results of a general physical examination without 

any significant abnormal findings and then concludes: "[T]his is 

a 39-year-old man who gets severe back discomfort with minimal 

activity, he is disabled by this and by the severe addiction to 

alcohol. He is unable to hold any type of job because [of] 

emotional effects of the alcohol abuse." Dr. Villalon's report is 

brief and conclusory. His conclusion the claimant is disabled 

lacks foundation. The ALJ's decision to reject Dr. Villalon's 

report is supported by substantial evidence in the record. 

-3-

Appellate Case: 88-2242 Document: 01019974367 Date Filed: 08/08/1989 Page: 3 
2. Pain 

Lingo claims the Secretary did not properly consider his 

allegations of pain. The ALJ found "the claimant's complaints of 

pain are exaggerated and totally lacking in credibility." Lingo 

cla i ms the ALJ rejected his allegations of pain because there was 

no objective medical evidence in the record contrary to the 

holding in Turner v. Heckler, 754 F.2d 326, 330 (10th Cir. 1978) 

(subjective pain need not be shown to have an objective physical 

origin to be disabling). This claim is not supported by the 

record. The ALJ stated: 

While I have not relied primarily or solely on the 

objective medical evidence of record to discount the 

claimant's complaints, it cannot be ignored that the 

clinical, laboratory and x-ray findings in this case are 

negative and that the claimant has had no medical 

treatment for any of his alleged problems in recent 

years. 

The ALJ gave detailed reasons, which are supported by substantial 

evidence in the record, for his decision to discredit Lingo's 

allegations of pain. 

3. Chronic Alcoholism 

Lingo asserts the Secretary erred in not finding him disabled 

by his severe chronic alcoholism as defined in the list of 

impairments in the social security regulations. The ALJ stated: 

I have considered the claimant's subjective 

complaints and his allegation that his drinking prevents 

him from performing substantial gainful activity. I 

find the claimant's subjective allegations exaggerated 

and totally lacking in credibility. It is also apparent 

that the claimant's alcoholism is a life style choice 

and that he has not lost the ability to control his 

drinking as a result of severe mental or emotional 

problems. 

- 4-

Appellate Case: 88-2242 Document: 01019974367 Date Filed: 08/08/1989 Page: 4 
This finding is supported by substantial evidence in the record. 

Li ngo testified that he had stopped drinking for three and a half 

mon t hs prior to the hearing and while he was working in 1986. The 

mental assessment by Dr. Stiles indicated Lingo's history of 

alcohol abuse did not affect his ability to remember, understand 

or c ommunicate. This evidence supports the ALJ's finding that 

Lingo's alcoholism did not prevent him from performing gainful 

emp l oyment. 

4. Combined Impairments 

Lingo claims the Secretary erred 

impairments in combination and their 

in not considering his 

impact on his ability to 

engage in substantial gainful activity. Lingo reargues his claim 

that the ALJ improperly concluded Lingo has control over his 

drinking. Lingo argues his 

unsuccessful alcohol treatments 

testimony regarding repeated 

was sufficient to establish his 

lack of control. However, the ALJ discounted this testimony 

because no medical records were submitted into evidence to 

sub s tantiate the testimony. The ALJ's conclusion that Lingo could 

con t rol his drinking is supported by substantial evidence. Where 

the ALJ discredited each of Lingo's alleged impairments, there was 

nothing to combine in considering his degree of disability. 

5. 

Lingo claims the 

sub s tantial evidence. 

Substantial Evidence 

Secretary's decision is not supported by 

After reviewing the record on appeal, we 

-5-

Appellate Case: 88-2242 Document: 01019974367 Date Filed: 08/08/1989 Page: 5 
. . 

fi nd the Secretary's decision to deny Supplemental Security Income 

benefits to Mr. Lingo was supported by substantial evidence. 

The decision of the United States District Court for the 

District of Colorado is AFFIRMED. 

The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

Entered for the Court: 

Wade Brorby 

Circuit Judge 

-6-

Appellate Case: 88-2242 Document: 01019974367 Date Filed: 08/08/1989 Page: 6