Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-01345/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-01345-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Commissioner of Social Security
Defendant
Stephanie Lenora Mathews
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

STEPHANIE LENORA MATHEWS,

Plaintiff,

v.

COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL 

SECURITY,

Defendant.

Case No. 1:23-cv-01345-HBK

ORDER REMANDING CASE TO 

COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY1

(Doc. Nos. 16, 19)

Stephanie Lenora Mathews (“Plaintiff”) seeks judicial review of a final decision of the 

Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner” or “Defendant”) denying her application for 

supplemental security income under the Social Security Act. (Doc. No. 1). The matter is 

currently before the undersigned on the parties’ briefs, which were submitted without oral 

argument. (Doc. Nos. 16, 19). For the reasons set forth more fully below, the Court remands the 

matter to the Commissioner of Social Security for further administrative proceedings.

I. JURISDICTION

Plaintiff protectively filed for supplemental security income on December 17, 2020, 

alleging a disability onset date of July 1, 2020. (AR 308-18). Benefits were denied initially (AR 

1

 Both parties have consented to the jurisdiction of a magistrate judge, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. 

§636(c)(1). (Doc. No. 10). 

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126-53, 194-99) and upon reconsideration (AR 154-81, 203-09). Plaintiff appeared for a 

telephonic hearing before an administrative law judge (“ALJ”) on January 18, 2023. (AR 81-

100). Plaintiff testified at the hearing and was represented by counsel. (Id.). The ALJ denied 

benefits (AR 18-41) and the Appeals Council denied review (AR 5-10). The matter is before the 

Court under 42 U.S.C. § 1383(c)(3).

II. BACKGROUND

The facts of the case are set forth in the administrative hearing and transcripts, the ALJ’s 

decision, and the briefs of Plaintiff and Commissioner. Only the most pertinent facts are 

summarized here.

Plaintiff was 50 years old at the time of the hearing. (AR 93). She completed two years 

of college. (AR 354). She lives with her father. (AR 90). She has work history as a home 

attendant and receptionist. (AR 97). Plaintiff testified that she is unable to work because of 

anxiety, PTSD, lack of experience with technology, and issues with attendance. (AR 93-94). She 

reported she has been admitted on psychiatric holds twice since 2020, and she has episodes where 

she sees and hears things. (AR 85-86, 94). Plaintiff testified that she has night terrors almost 

every night and takes two naps a day for half an hour at a time. (AR 86). She has difficulty with 

large groups, problems with memory, anxiety attacks three to four times a week, and paranoia 

that has resulted in hospitalizations. (AR 86-89). 

III. STANDARD OF REVIEW

A district court’s review of a final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security is 

governed by 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). The scope of review under § 405(g) is limited; the 

Commissioner’s decision will be disturbed “only if it is not supported by substantial evidence or 

is based on legal error.” Hill v. Astrue, 698 F.3d 1153, 1158 (9th Cir. 2012). “Substantial 

evidence” means “relevant evidence that a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a 

conclusion.” Id. at 1159 (quotation and citation omitted). Stated differently, substantial evidence 

equates to “more than a mere scintilla[,] but less than a preponderance.” Id. (quotation and 

citation omitted). In determining whether the standard has been satisfied, a reviewing court must 

consider the entire record as a whole rather than searching for supporting evidence in isolation. 

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Id.

In reviewing a denial of benefits, a district court may not substitute its judgment for that of 

the Commissioner. “The court will uphold the ALJ's conclusion when the evidence is susceptible 

to more than one rational interpretation.” Tommasetti v. Astrue, 533 F.3d 1035, 1038 (9th Cir. 

2008). Further, a district court will not reverse an ALJ’s decision on account of an error that is 

harmless. Id. An error is harmless where it is “inconsequential to the [ALJ’s] ultimate 

nondisability determination.” Id. (quotation and citation omitted). The party appealing the ALJ’s 

decision generally bears the burden of establishing that it was harmed. Shinseki v. Sanders, 556 

U.S. 396, 409-10 (2009).

IV. SEQUENTIAL EVALUATION PROCESS

A claimant must satisfy two conditions to be considered “disabled” within the meaning of 

the Social Security Act. First, the claimant must be “unable to engage in any substantial gainful 

activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be 

expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period 

of not less than twelve months.” 42 U.S.C. § 1382c(a)(3)(A). Second, the claimant’s impairment 

must be “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. § 1382c(a)(3)(B). 

The Commissioner has established a five-step sequential analysis to determine whether a 

claimant satisfies the above criteria. See 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(i)-(v). At step one, the 

Commissioner considers the claimant’s work activity. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(i). If the 

claimant is engaged in “substantial gainful activity,” the Commissioner must find that the 

claimant is not disabled. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(b).

If the claimant is not engaged in substantial gainful activity, the analysis proceeds to step 

two. At this step, the Commissioner considers the severity of the claimant’s impairment. 20 

C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(ii). If the claimant suffers from “any impairment or combination of 

impairments which significantly limits [his or her] physical or mental ability to do basic work 

activities,” the analysis proceeds to step three. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(c). If the claimant’s 

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impairment does not satisfy this severity threshold, however, the Commissioner must find that the 

claimant is not disabled. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(c).

At step three, the Commissioner compares the claimant’s impairment to severe 

impairments recognized by the Commissioner to be so severe as to preclude a person from 

engaging in substantial gainful activity. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(iii). If the impairment is as 

severe or more severe than one of the enumerated impairments, the Commissioner must find the 

claimant disabled and award benefits. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(d).

If the severity of the claimant’s impairment does not meet or exceed the severity of the 

enumerated impairments, the Commissioner must pause to assess the claimant’s “residual 

functional capacity.” Residual functional capacity (RFC), defined generally as the claimant’s 

ability to perform physical and mental work activities on a sustained basis despite his or her 

limitations, 20 C.F.R. § 416.945(a)(1), is relevant to both the fourth and fifth steps of the analysis.

At step four, the Commissioner considers whether, in view of the claimant’s RFC, the 

claimant is capable of performing work that he or she has performed in the past (past relevant 

work). 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(a)(4)(iv). If the claimant is capable of performing past relevant 

work, the Commissioner must find that the claimant is not disabled. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(f). If 

the claimant is incapable of performing such work, the analysis proceeds to step five.

At step five, the Commissioner considers whether, in view of the claimant’s RFC, the 

claimant is capable of performing other work in the national economy. 20 C.F.R. § 

416.920(a)(4)(v). In making this determination, the Commissioner must also consider vocational 

factors such as the claimant’s age, education, and past work experience. 20 C.F.R. § 

416.920(a)(4)(v). If the claimant is capable of adjusting to other work, the Commissioner must 

find that the claimant is not disabled. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(g)(1). If the claimant is not capable of 

adjusting to other work, analysis concludes with a finding that the claimant is disabled and is 

therefore entitled to benefits. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(g)(1).

The claimant bears the burden of proof at steps one through four above. Tackett v. Apfel, 

180 F.3d 1094, 1098 (9th Cir. 1999). If the analysis proceeds to step five, the burden shifts to the 

Commissioner to establish that (1) the claimant is capable of performing other work; and (2) such 

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work “exists in significant numbers in the national economy.” 20 C.F.R. § 416.960(c)(2); Beltran 

v. Astrue, 700 F.3d 386, 389 (9th Cir. 2012).

V. ALJ’S FINDINGS

At step one, the ALJ found that Plaintiff has not engaged in substantial gainful activity 

since December 17, 2020, the application date. (AR 24). At step two, the ALJ found that 

Plaintiff has the following severe impairments: 1) a mental impairment variously diagnosed as 

panic disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar I disorder with 

psychotic features, bipolar II disorder, unspecified anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder 

(PTSD), and borderline personality disorder; 2) morbid obesity; and 3) cannabis use disorder. 

(AR 24). At step three, the ALJ found that Plaintiff does not have an impairment or combination 

of impairments that meets or medically equals the severity of a listed impairment. (AR 25). The 

ALJ then found that Plaintiff has the RFC to 

perform medium work as defined in 20 CFR 416.967(b) with 

lifting/carrying/pushing/pulling 20 pounds occasionally and 10 

pounds frequently; standing/walking/sitting all 6 hours of an 8-hour 

day; occasional in all postural categories such as stooping, crouching, 

kneeling, crawling, and climbing ramps and stairs but no climbing 

ladders, ropes, or scaffolds; avoid concentrated exposure to 

temperature extremes, wetness, work hazards, and fumes, odors, 

dusts, gases, and poor ventilation. She is limited to nonpublic simple 

work consisting of simple routine repetitive tasks with only 

occasional interaction with supervisors and coworkers. She is 

limited to low stress work defined as no production or pace work, 

such as an assembly line, and only occasional changes in work 

setting. 

(AR 27-28). At step four, the ALJ found that Plaintiff has no past relevant work. (AR 34). At 

step five, the ALJ found that considering Plaintiff’s age, education, work experience, and RFC, 

there are jobs that exist in significant numbers in the national economy that Plaintiff can perform, 

including: merchandise marker, routing clerk, and photocopy machine copier. (AR 35-36). On 

that basis, the ALJ concluded that Plaintiff has not been under a disability, as defined in the 

Social Security Act, since December 17, 2020, the date the application was filed. (AR 36). 

VI. ISSUES

Plaintiff seeks judicial review of the Commissioner’s final decision denying her

supplemental security income benefits under Title XVI of the Social Security Act. (Doc. No. 1). 

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Plaintiff raises the following issue for this Court’s review: whether the ALJ erred in failing to 

include moderate limitations assessed by Dr. Bonilla into the RFC despite finding her opinion

generally persuasive or provide adequately supported reasons for rejecting those portions of the 

opinion. (Doc. No. 16 at 10-16).

VII. DISCUSSION

For claims filed on or after March 27, 2017, new regulations apply that change the 

framework for how an ALJ must evaluate medical opinion evidence. Revisions to Rules 

Regarding the Evaluation of Medical Evidence, 2017 WL 168819, 82 Fed. Reg. 5844-01 (Jan. 18, 

2017); 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520c. The new regulations provide that the ALJ will no longer “give 

any specific evidentiary weight...to any medical opinion(s)...” Revisions to Rules, 2017 WL 

168819, 82 Fed. Reg. 5844, at 5867-68; see 20 C.F.R. § 416.920c(a). Instead, an ALJ must 

consider and evaluate the persuasiveness of all medical opinions or prior administrative medical 

findings from medical sources. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920c(a) and (b). The factors for evaluating the 

persuasiveness of medical opinions and prior administrative medical findings include 

supportability, consistency, relationship with the claimant (including length of the treatment, 

frequency of examinations, purpose of the treatment, extent of the treatment, and the existence of 

an examination), specialization, and “other factors that tend to support or contradict a medical 

opinion or prior administrative medical finding” (including, but not limited to, “evidence showing 

a medical source has familiarity with the other evidence in the claim or an understanding of our 

disability program’s policies and evidentiary requirements”). 20 C.F.R. § 416.920c(c)(1)-(5). 

Supportability and consistency are the most important factors, and therefore the ALJ is 

required to explain how both factors were considered. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920c(b)(2). 

Supportability and consistency are explained in the regulations:

(1) Supportability. The more relevant the objective medical evidence and 

supporting explanations presented by a medical source are to support his or 

her medical opinion(s) or prior administrative medical finding(s), the more 

persuasive the medical opinions or prior administrative medical finding(s) 

will be.

(2) Consistency. The more consistent a medical opinion(s) or prior 

administrative medical finding(s) is with the evidence from other medical 

sources and nonmedical sources in the claim, the more persuasive the 

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medical opinion(s) or prior administrative medical finding(s) will be.

20 C.F.R. § 416.920c(c)(1)-(2). The ALJ may, but is not required to, explain how the other 

factors were considered. 20 C.F.R. § 416.920c(b)(2). However, when two or more medical 

opinions or prior administrative findings “about the same issue are both equally well-supported ... 

and consistent with the record ... but are not exactly the same,” the ALJ is required to explain how 

“the other most persuasive factors in paragraphs (c)(3) through (c)(5)” were considered. 20 

C.F.R. § 416.920c(b)(3). 

The Ninth Circuit has additionally held that the new regulatory framework displaces the 

longstanding case law requiring an ALJ to provide “specific and legitimate” or “clear and 

convincing” reasons for rejecting a treating or examining doctor’s opinion. Woods v. Kijakazi, 32 

F.4th 785 (9th Cir. 2022). Nonetheless, in rejecting an examining or treating doctor’s opinion as 

unsupported or inconsistent, an ALJ must still provide an explanation supported by substantial 

evidence. Id. at 792. This means that the ALJ “must ‘articulate ... how persuasive’ [he or she] 

finds ‘all of the medical opinions’ from each doctor or other source ... and ‘explain how [he or 

she] considered the supportability and consistency factors’ in reaching these findings.” Id. (citing 

20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520c(b), 404.1520(b)(2)).

In June 2021, Pauline Bonilla, Psy.D. opined that Plaintiff had moderate limitations in her 

ability to perform detailed and complex tasks, interact with co-workers and the public, complete a 

normal workday/work week without interruptions from a psychiatric condition; and deal with 

stress and changes encountered in the workplace. (AR 644-45). Dr. Bonilla also opined that the 

likelihood of Plaintiff emotionally deteriorating in a work environment is moderate; and she had 

mild to moderate limitation in her ability to maintain regular attendance in the workplace. (Id.). 

The ALJ found “Dr. Bonilla did not identify the claimant’s functional abilities, but the statements 

on having mild to moderate limitations are otherwise generally persuasive. The doctor provided 

some general explanations and the cited limitations are generally supported by the many 

unremarkable mental status examination findings but recalling 3/4 digits backward and 2/3 

objects after five minutes.” (AR 33 (citing AR 643)).

As an initial matter, Plaintiff argues the ALJ failed to provide the requisite analysis of the 

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consistency factor when considering Dr. Bonilla’s opinion under the revised regulations. (Doc. 

No. 16 at 13-14). Plaintiff is correct that the ALJ must explain how it considered both 

supportability and consistency when evaluating the persuasiveness of a medical opinion. See

Woods, 32 F.4th at 792; see also Hiten v. Kijakazi, 2023 WL 5806452, at *5-6 (E.D. Cal. Sept. 7, 

2023) (collecting cases noting the ALJ must explain how both supportability and consistency 

factors were considered in determining the persuasiveness of an opinion). Here, a plain reading 

of the ALJ’s decision indicates that the ALJ did not address the consistency of Dr. Bonilla’s 

opinion with evidence from other medical and nonmedical sources in the record. (AR 33 (citing 

Dr. Bonilla’s own explanations and cited limitations, including “unremarkable mental status 

examination findings”)); 20 C.F.R. § 416.920c(c)(2). Defendant does not dispute whether the 

ALJ properly considered the consistency factor, rather, Defendant argues that Plaintiff fails to 

establish harmful error because the RFC does not conflict with Dr. Bonilla’s opinion. (Doc. No. 

19 at 10). 

More specifically, Defendant argues any error in considering the Dr. Bonilla’s opinion 

was harmless because the assessed RFC limiting Plaintiff to a “reduced range of simple work” 

properly incorporated the moderate limitations assessed by Dr. Bonilla in Plaintiff’s ability to 

complete a normal workday/workweek, deal with stress and changes in the workplace, and

likelihood to emotionally deteriorate in the work environment. (Doc. No. 19 at 5-7 (collecting 

cases finding RFC limitation to simple tasks accommodated opinion assessing moderate 

limitations in plaintiff’s ability to respond to work pressure, maintain regular attendance, and 

complete a normal workday/workweek); Stubbs-Danielson v. Astrue, 539 F.3d 1169, 1174 (9th 

Cir. 2008) (an ALJ's assessment of a claimant adequately captures restrictions related to 

concentration, persistence, or pace where the assessment is consistent with restrictions identified 

in medical testimony). Plaintiff argues that despite finding Dr. Bonilla’s opinion “generally 

persuasive,” the ALJ erred in assessing the RFC because it did not account for the opined

moderate limitations in Plaintiff’s ability to complete a normal workday/work week, moderate 

likelihood of emotional deterioration in the work environment, and moderate limitation in the 

ability to deal with stress and changes encountered in the workplace in the RFC, or provide the 

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requisite reasons, supported by substantial evidence, for rejecting those limitations. (Doc. No. 16

at 11-12). 

A claimant’s RFC is “the most [the claimant] can still do despite [his or her] limitations.” 

20 C.F.R. § 404.1545(a); 20 C.F.R. § 416.945(a). The RFC assessment is an administrative 

finding based on all relevant evidence in the record, not just medical evidence. Bayliss v. 

Barnhart, 427 F.3d 1211, 1217 (9th Cir. 2005). In determining the RFC, the ALJ must consider 

all limitations, severe and non-severe, that are credible and supported by substantial evidence in 

the record. (Id.) (RFC determination will be affirmed if supported by substantial evidence). 

However, an ALJ’s RFC findings need only be consistent with relevant assessed limitations and 

not identical to them. Turner v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 613 F.3d 1217, 1222-23 (9th Cir. 2010). 

Initially, Defendant cites SSA policy and federal regulations regarding “moderate 

limitation” in support of the argument that “[t]here was nothing in the psychologist’s examination 

and opinion that suggested the claimant’s moderate difficulty would prevent the claimant from 

working within the confines of the ALJ’s RFC finding.”2(Doc. No. 19 at 8-9). However, as held 

in Eastern District of California, whether moderate limitations are work preclusive does not 

“resolve the inquiry” because the “question is whether the ALJ, having accepted [the] opinion, 

appropriately translated the moderate limitations from that opinion into concrete restrictions in 

the RFC.” Harrell v. Kijakazi, 2021 WL 4429416, at *6-7 (E.D. Cal. Sept. 27, 2021). As noted 

above, Defendant relies on Stubbs-Danielson and subsequent cases in the Ninth Circuit finding

that a limitation to simple work with limited public contact properly accounted for moderate 

limitations in completing a normal workday/workweek, responding to work pressures, and 

2 Defendant additionally argues that Plaintiff “ignores” the fact that the state agency medical consultants 

“similarly found that Plaintiff had moderate mental limitations (AR 139, 166), and they formulated this 

into concrete functional limitations for nonpublic simple work (AR 149, 176).” (Doc. No. 19 at 7). 

However, in the decision, the ALJ found the medical source’s findings that Plaintiff could sustain 

nonpublic simple work and notes that Plaintiff’s “memory; concentration, persistence, pace; and 

adaptation were sufficient for simple tasks” were persuasive, and the ALJ added a restriction for low-stress 

work with only occasional changes in the work setting based on the moderate limitations in adapting or 

managing oneself. (AR 320). While these findings are certainly relevant to the ALJ’s formulation of the 

overall RFC, the Court is unclear how the Plaintiff’s purported failure to challenge the ALJ’s 

consideration of their opined limitations impacts the Court’s analysis of whether the ALJ erred in 

considering the separate and distinct limitations opined by Dr. Bonilla.

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interacting with others. (Doc. No. 19 at 5-9 (citing, e.g. Salmeron v. Kijakazi, 2023 WL 2617051, 

at *6 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 23, 2023) (finding RFC for simple work accounted for moderate limitations 

in plaintiff’s ability to complete a normal workday workweek, in part because the RFC also 

included limitations in that work could be learned in up to and including 30 days of training, no 

time sensitive strict production quota work, no direct interaction with the public, and only 

occasional interaction with coworkers and supervisors)). However, “the Ninth Circuit and district 

courts in the Ninth Circuit have held that Stubbs-Danielson does not control in cases where the 

limitations relate to functional areas other than concentration, persistence, and pace, such as 

social functioning and attendance.” Panziera v. Berryhill, 2018 WL 278623, at *20 (N.D. Cal. 

Jan. 3, 2018). After review of the most recent case law, the Court agrees. 

[U]npublished district course case law (which is not controlling, but

is more factually on point) is split but tends to favor the view that a 

restriction to simple/routine tasks with limited public contact does 

not account for the moderate limitations [the doctor] identified in 

interacting with supervisors and peers, handling work related 

stressors, maintaining regular attendance, and completing a normal 

workweek without interruption. The district court case law in 

support of Defendant’s position is sparser and more outdated. The 

weight of the more recent case law tends to refute the notion that a 

limitation to simple/routine tasks with limited public contact 

adequately accounts for other limitations in social interaction, 

maintaining attendance, completing a normal workday without 

interruptions from a psychiatric condition, and handling work related 

stressors.

Harrell, 2021 WL 4429416 at *6 (internal citations omitted); see also Macias v. Saul, 2021 WL 

856423, at *6 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 8, 2021) (collecting cases and holding that a limitation to simple

one- or two- step tasks does not account for attendance limitations); Gowan v. Comm’r of Soc. 

Sec., 2024 WL 3372470, at *3 (E.D. Cal. July 11, 2024) (citing de los Santos v. Kijakazi, 2022 

WL 1541464, at *6 (E.D. Cal. May 16, 2022) (“The case law in this circuit is split but tends to 

favor the view that a restriction to simple/routine tasks is not a catchall and does not account for 

limitations such as maintaining attendance”); Berenisia Madrigal v. Saul, 2020 WL 58289, at *5-

6 (E.D. Cal. Jan. 6, 2020) (restriction to simple, routine tasks dos not account for assessed 

limitations in ability to complete a normal workday or workweek without interruptions from 

psychiatric condition and the ability to deal with stress or changes encountered in the workplace); 

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Millsap v. Kijakazi, 2023 WL 4534341, at *5-6 (E.D. Cal. July 13, 2023) (rejecting argument that 

limitation to simple, routine tasks in the RFC accounted for moderate mental limitations in 

opinion the ALJ found persuasive, including ability to complete a normal workday or workweek); 

Sahyoun v. Saul, 2020 WL 1492661, at *4 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 27, 2020) (rejecting argument that 

limitation to work involving simple and repetitive tasks adequately captured moderate limitations 

in maintaining regular attendance, completing a normal workday or work week without 

interruption from psychiatric condition, and handling work-related stress); but see Messerli v. 

Berryhill, 2017 WL 3782986, at *11 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 31, 2017) (finding limitation to simple 

routine tasks adequately accounted for moderate limitations in ability to accept instructions, 

interact with coworkers and the public, maintain attendance, and complete a normal 

workday/workweek without interruptions); Schmidt v. Colvin, 2013 WL 5372845, at *17 (E.D. 

Cal. Sept. 25, 2013) (finding RFC limitation to simple unskilled work adequately captured opined 

moderate limitations in completing a normal workday and work week). 

Based on the foregoing, the Court finds the RFC limiting Plaintiff to nonpublic simple 

work consisting of simple routine repetitive tasks, only occasional interaction with supervisors 

and coworkers, and non-production line work with only occasional workplace changes, does not 

account for Dr. Bonilla’s findings of moderate limitations in Plaintiff’s ability to complete a 

normal workday/work week and the likelihood of emotional deterioration. The ALJ’s failure to 

provide reasons, supported by substantial evidence, to reject those limitations, particularly as to 

her ability to attend a workday/work week and likelihood for emotional deterioration, or to 

properly incorporate those limitations into the assessed RFC, constitutes error. See Robbins v. 

Soc. Sec. Admin., 466 F.3d 880, 886 (9th Cir. 2006) (“an ALJ is not free to disregard properly 

supported limitations”); Byrd v. Colvin, 2017 WL 980559, at *8 (D. Or. Mar. 14, 2017) (“Here, 

the ALJ gave great weight to [the] opinion, but the RFC failed to take into account all of the 

limitations identified by [the doctor], and the ALJ failed to explain why she did not include the 

limitations in the RFC. As a result, the ALJ erred in formulating the RFC.”). Further, on the 

record before the Court it cannot conclude that the error was harmless, as the VE testified that 

missing more than three days of work per month or being off task 20 percent of the workday 

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would not be allowed in competitive employment. (AR 99); see Stout v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec. 

Admin., 454 F.3d 1050, 1056 (9th Cir. 2006) (the reviewing court cannot consider an error 

harmless unless it “can confidently conclude that no reasonable ALJ, when fully crediting the 

[evidence], could have reached a different disability determination”).

On remand, the ALJ must reconsider Dr. Bonilla’s opinion along with the relevant 

medical evidence, and, if necessary, reassess the RFC.

B. Remedy

Plaintiff contends that the proper remedy in this case is a remand for further 

administrative proceedings. (Doc. No. 16 at 17); see Treichler v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. Admin., 

775 F.3d 1090, 1103-04 (9th Cir. 2014) (remand for benefits is not appropriate when further 

administrative proceedings would serve a useful purpose). The Court agrees. Here, the ALJ 

improperly considered the medical opinion evidence, which calls into question whether the 

assessed RFC, and resulting hypothetical propounded to the vocational expert, are supported by 

substantial evidence. “Where,” as here, “there is conflicting evidence, and not all essential 

factual issues have been resolved, a remand for an award of benefits is inappropriate.” Treichler, 

775 F.3d at 1101. On remand, the ALJ should reconsider the medical opinion evidence. The ALJ 

should order additional consultative examinations and, if appropriate, take additional testimony 

from medical experts. The ALJ should conduct a new sequential analysis, reassess Plaintiff’s 

RFC and, if necessary, take additional testimony from a vocational expert which includes all of 

the limitations credited by the ALJ.

Accordingly, it is ORDERED:

1. Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. No. 16) is GRANTED.

2. Defendant’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. No. 19) is DENIED.

3. Pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C.§ 405(g), the Court REVERSES the 

Commissioner’s decision and REMANDS this case back to the Commissioner of 

Social Security for further proceedings consistent with this Order.

4. An application for attorney fees may be filed by separate motion within thirty (30) 

days.

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5. The Clerk shall enter judgment in favor of the Plaintiff, terminate any pending 

motions/deadlines, and close this case.

Dated: January 16, 2025 

HELENA M. BARCH-KUCHTA

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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