T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T MI C HA E L MAS ON , P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t, v. C OMMI S S I ON E R OF S OC I AL S E C UR I T Y, D ef

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O r e gon P aul J . P apa k, M a gi s tr a t e J udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d M a y3, 2010 ** P ort l a nd, O r e gon B efo re: K L E IN F E L D , B E A an d IK U T A , C i rcu i tJu d g es. M i chae l M as on appeal s f rom the di stri ctcourt ’ s j ud gm ent , w hi ch af fi rm ed th e A LJ ’ s f

i n d i n g th a th e i s n o td i s ab l e d . W e a f f i rm. 

# FI LED MA Y18 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

We r e v i e w de no vo a d istrict co u rt’s o rd eru p h o ld in g th e C o m m issio n er ’s d e n ia l o f b e n e f its . R o llin s v . M a s s a n a r i, 2 6 1 F .3 d 8 5 3 , 8 5 5 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) . W e m ustaf fi rm the deci si on of the C om m i ss i on eri f i tw as supp ort ed by subst ant i al evi dence i n the re cord and app l i ed the corr ec tl egal st andards. R eddi ck v. C hat er , 15 7 F . 3d 71 5, 72 0 (9th C i r. 19 98 ). S ub st ant i al evi dence i s m ore than a sc i nt i l l a, bu tl es s than a prepon derance. T i dw el l v. A pfel , 16 1 F . 3d 59 9, 60 1 (9th C i r. 19 98 ).

S ub st ant i al evi dence i n the re cord supp ort s the A L J’ s det erm i nat i on that M a s on’ s t e s t i m ony w a s note nt i r e l yc r e di bl e . T he A L Jga ve s pe c i f i c , c l e a ra nd c o n v in c in g r e a s o n s f

o rr e je c tin g M a s o n ’s te s tim o n yr e g a r d in g th e s e v e r ityo f h is sy m pt om s, i ncl ud i ng the m edi ca l evi dence i n the re cord, M as on ’ s f ai l ure t o see k tre atm entfor hi s c om pl ai nt s des pi t e i nform i ng on e of hi s physi ci ans thathe had ac ce ss t o m edi ca l tre atm entand M as on ’ s gross un der- re po rt i ng of hi s w ork h i st ory ( i n both the a m ounte a rne d a nd na tur e of w ork pe r f

orm e d) a tthe pr i orhe a r i ng be f or e the A L J . T om m a s e tt i v. A s true , 533 F . 3d 1035, 1039 ( 9th C i r . 2008) . F or e x a mp l e , th e A LJ n o t e d th a ts i n c e th e p r i o rh e a r i n g o n M a s o n ’ s d i s ab i l i tyc l a i m, M a s on ha d a s s e rt e d ane w c l a i m f ordi s abi l i tybe ne f

i t s r e l a t e d t o a n on- the -

j ob i nj ury he s ust ai ned from l i ft i ng a ni nety- po un d o bj ec t . T hati nj ury w as sust ai ned3

dur i ng the be ne f

i t s pe r i od pr e s e nt l yunde rr e vi e w . M a s on’ s w ork- r e l a t e d l i f t i ng of ni nety pou nd s i s i ncon si st entw i th h i s c l ai m thatdu ri ng the sa m e per i od he w as u n ab le to lif

t ab a g o f

g r o c e r ie s . L i kew i se , the A L J poi nt ed t o sub st ant i al evi dence i n the re cord t o sup po rt hi s det erm i nat i on thatthe l ayw i tness es , T re vo l M as on and R ho nd a C ol l i ns, w er e note nt i r e l y c r e di bl e . T he A L Js pe c i f i c a l l yi de nt i f

i e d ge rm a ne r e a s ons f

orr e j e c t i ng thei r t es t i m on y w i th res pectt o M as on ’ s abi l i ty t o w ork, such as the i ncon si st enci es b etw ee n th eir tes ti m o n y r eg ar d in g th e s ev er ity o f M as o n ’s sy m p to m s a n d M as o n ’s a c tiv itie s — h is f

a ilu r e to s e e ktr e a tm e n t a n d h is a c tu a l w o rkh is to ry . N ordi d the A L Je rri n e va l ua t i ng M a s on’ s r e s i dua l f unc t i ona l c apa c i ty . T he A L Jd is c u s s e d th e r e le v a n t m e d ic a l e v id e n c e a n d te s tim o n yw ith r e s p e c t to M as on ’ s c l ai m ed i m pai rm ent s and l i m i t at i on s, and rel i ed on the re si du al funct i on al c ap a c ityf

in d in g s o f

D r . J o h n s o n a n d D r . L e B r a yto r e a c h h is c o n c lu s io n s . A lth o u g h th e A L J f

ailed to in clu d e a ll o f M as o n ’s m en tal l im it atio n s in M as o n ’s re si du al funct i on al capaci ty a ss es sm ent , any e rr or w as harm l es s bec ause subst ant i al e v id e n c e s u p p o rte d th e A L J ’s c o n c lu s io n th a t a n ym e n ta l lim ita tio n s d id n o t im p a ir M a s o n ’s c ap a c ityto p e r f o rm h is p a s t r e le v a n t w o rk . B at son v . C om m ’ r of S oci al4

S ec uri ty A dm i n. , 35 9 F . 3d 11 90 , 11 97 (9th C i r. 20 04 ). T he A L J’ s c on cl usi on that M a s on w a s c apabl e of

pe r f orm i ng hi s pa s tr e l e va ntw ork w a s s upport e d by s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e . T he A L Ji s notr e qui r e d, a s M a s on c ont e nds , t o e nga ge i n a f unc t i on- by - f

unc t i on a na l y s i s unde rS S R 96- 8p. S S R 96- 8p r e qui r e s onl ytha tthe A L Jdi s c us s how e vi de nc e s upport s the r e s i dua l f unc t i on c apa c i tya s s e s s m e nta nd expl ai n h ow the A L J r es ol ved m at er i al i ncon si st enci es or am bi gu i t i es i n evi dence, a s the A L Jdi d he r e . W e s i m i l a r l yr e j e c tM a s on' s c ont e nt i on tha tthe A L Je rr e d by r e l y i ng on am e di c a l s our c e opi ni on f r om anon- tr e a t i ng phy s i c i a n. U nde rthe ci rc um st ance s of thi s c as e, w here un controvert ed evi dence i nd i ca t ed M as on had nots oughta ny tr e a tm e nts i nc e 1993, r e l i a nc e on m or e r e c e ntnon- tr e a t i ng p h y s ic ia n s ' o p in io n s w a s r e a s o n ab le . A F F I R M E D .