Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-88-01789/USCOURTS-ca10-88-01789-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Department of Labor
Respondent
Ernest Tollis
Petitioner

Document Text:

ERNEST TOLLIS, 

Petitioner, 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

FILED 

Uoitcd States Court of Appeals 

Tenth CiraJit 

SEP 7- 1989 

ROBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

v. 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

No. 88-1789 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT 

OF LABOR, 

Respondent. 

(BRB No. 86-2838 BLA) 

(Benefits Review Board) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Before McKAY, TACHA, and EBEL, 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. Therefore, the cause is ordered 

submitted without oral argument. 

This is an appeal from a decision of the Benefits Review 

Board denying petitioner's request for benefits under the Black 

Lung Benefits Act. On appeal, petitioner contends that (1) the 

ALJ's decision to reject the opinions of Dr. Wyatt and Dr. 

Buglewicz was not supported by substantial evidence and was 

* 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: 88-1789 Document: 01019973430 Date Filed: 09/07/1989 Page: 1 
contrary to established precedent as to what constitutes a 

reasoned medical opinion; and (2) the ALJ's decision as to a lack 

of total disability was not supported by substantial evidence. 

We affirm the decision of the Benefits Review Board for 

substantially the reasons stated in its April 29, 1988 Decision 

and Order. We agree that Dr. Wyatt's conclusion that petitioner 

has pneumoconiosis was not supported by a reasoned medical opinion 

explaining the contrary objective evidence, and that 

Dr. Buglewicz's testimony properly was discounted in light of 

Dr. Kennedy's invalidation of the April 1986 pulmonary function 

test. See 20 C.F.R. S 718 Appendix B. 

The Decision and Order of the Benefits Review Board is 

AFFIRMED~ The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

- 2 -

Entered for the Cou~t 

David M. Ebel 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 88-1789 Document: 01019973430 Date Filed: 09/07/1989 Page: 2