FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT AUGUST 21, 2007 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 07- 10714 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 5 - 6 1 1 2 4 - C V- AJ G L O R I A P E R S I C H I L L I , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s C O M M I S S I O N E R O F S O C I A L S E C U R I T Y A D M I N I S T R A T I O N , M ic h a e l J . A s tru e , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lle e .

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( A u gu s t 21, 2007) B efo re B IR C H , B L A C K an d K R A V IT C H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: A ppe l l a nt , G l or i aP e r s i c hi l l i , appe a l s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s or de ra f f i rm i ng the2

de ni a l of he rappl i c a t i on f

ordi s abi l i ty i ns ur a nc e be ne f i t s , 42 U . S . C . § 405( g) . F or th e r e a s o n s s e t f

o rth b e lo w , w e a f

f irm th e d e c is io n o f

th e d is tr ic t c o u rt. I. O n M arch 1 3 , 1 9 9 5 , P ersi ch i l l i ap p l i ed fo r d i sab i l i ty i n su ran ce b en efi t s, al l egi ng an on se tdat e of D ec em ber 20, 19 94 . S he i dent i fi ed ca rpal tun nel s y n d r o m e a n d u ln a rn e rv e e n tr ap m e n t a s th e c o n d itio n s a f f e c tin g h e rab ility to w o rk . H e rap p lic a tio n w a s d e n ie d b o th in itia lly a n d o n r e c o n s id e r a tio n . P e r s ic h illi r e que s t e d ahe a r i ng be f

or e a n A dm i ni s tr a t i ve L a w J udge ( “ A L J ” ) , a nd, f ol l ow i ng the he a r i ng, the A L J i s s ue d ade c i s i on on J ul y 24, 1996, de ny i ng the r e que s tf or be ne f i t s . T hi s de ni a l w a s r e m a nde d by the A ppe a l s C ounc i l w i th a n or de rtha tthe A L J he a re vi de nc e f

r om avoc a t i ona l e xpe rt . F ol l ow i ng as e c ond he a r i ng on F ebruary25 , 19 98 , i n w hi ch tw o v ocat i on al expert s t es t i fi ed, the A L J a gai n d eni ed P e r s ic h illi’s r e q u e s t f

o rb e n e f its . T h is d e c is io n w a s u p h e ld b y th e A p p e a ls C o u n c il. O n January10 , 20 00 , P er si chi l l i fi l ed a c om pl ai nti n the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rtfor the S ou thern D i stri ctof F l ori da, and the m agi stra t e c ou rt r e c o m m e n d e d th a t th e C o m m is s io n e r ’s d e c is io n b e a f f irm e d . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt, h o w e v e r , d e c lin e dto a f f irm th e r e c o m m e n d a tio n a n d r e m a n d e d th e c a s e b a c kto the C om m i s s i one rw i th i ns truc t i ons t o hol d ac ons ul t a t i ve m e di c a l e xa m i na t i on a nd3

re ce iv e e x p er t m ed ical ev id en ce as to th e n atu re an d se v er ity o f P er sich il li ’s c urr e nti m pa i rm e nt . A thi r d he a r i ng w a s he l d a nd, onc e a ga i n, the A L J de ni e d the r e q u e s t f o rb e n e f its . T h is d e c is io n w a s u p h e ld b y th e A p p e a ls C o u n c il. Pe r s i c h i l l i th e n f

i l e d as e c o n d s u i ti n th e d i s tr i c tc o u rt . I n th i s c l a i m, P e r s ic h illi a lle g e d th a t s h e h a d n o t w o rk e d s in c e D e c e m b e r2 0 , 1 9 9 4 , d u e to b ila te r a l c a rp a l tu n n e l s y n d r o m e w ith u ln a rn e rv e e n tr ap m e n t, c h r o n ic p a in s y n d r o m e , a n d m a

jo rd e p r e s s io n . P e r s ic h illi th e n m o v e d f o rs u m m a ry ju d g m e n t, al l egi ng thatthe A L J e rr ed i n (1) det erm i ni ng thather depres si on w as no ta s ever e i m pai rm ent ; (2) r ef

usi ng t o con si der e vi dence of m edi ca l tre atm entby her ps y c hol ogi s ta f

t e rM a r c h 31, 2000, the l a s tda t e of he ri ns ur e d s t a tus ; a nd ( 3) adop t i ng the fi nd i ng and con cl usi on s i n the M agi stra t e Jud ge’ s orderof N ov em ber 3, 2000. T he C om m i s s i one ra l s o f i l e d am ot i on f

ors um m a ry j udgm e nt . T he C om m i ss i on erar gu ed that(1) the re cord confl i ct ed w i th the prop osi t i on that P er si chi l l i ’ s depre ss i on caused se vere i m pai rm entand the A L J properl y di sc ou nt ed he rtr e a t i ng ps y c hol ogi s t ’ s opi ni ons be c aus e the y c onf l i c t e d w i th the r e c or d; ( 2) P e r s i c hi l l i ’ s de pr e s s i on w a s nots e ve ra nd c oul d notbe of l i s t i ng l e ve l s e ve r i ty ; ( 3) P e r s i c hi l l i pr ovi de d no e vi de nc e r e ga r di ng how e vi de nc e of tr e a tm e ntof de pr e s s i on a f

t e rM a r c h 31, 2000, w oul d c ha nge the A L J ’ s de c i s i on; a nd ( 4) the A L J p r o p e r ly a d o p te d th e f in d in g s a n d c o n c lu s io n s o f th e M a g is tr a te J u d g e .4

T he di stri ctcourtgrant ed the C om m i ss i on er ’ s m ot i on for s um m ary ju d g m e n t, a n d a f

f irm e d th e C o m m is s io n e r ’s d e c is io n . P er sich il li n o w ap p ea ls. In h erap p ea l, P er sich il li ar g u es th at th e A L J’s f i ndi ng tha ts he c oul d pe r f orm af ul l r a nge of

s e de nt a ry w ork w a s nots upport e d by s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e be c aus e the A L J di d nota c know l e dge he r“ s e ve rm a ni pul a t i ve l i m i t at i on s w hi ch af

fe ct ed her bi l at er al m anual dext er i ty. ” S ec on d, she argues that the A L J e rr e d i n r e l y i ng on the M e di c a l V oc a t i on G ui de l i ne s t o di r e c taf i ndi ng thatappel l antw as no tdi sabl ed because she had “ no nexert i on al i m pai rm entthat s i gni f i c a nt l y l i m i t s he rm a ni pul a t i ve abi l i t i e s t o pe r f orm ba s i c w ork s ki l l s . ” T hi r d, P e r s ic h illi a r g u e s th a t th e A L J s h o u ld h a v e p e r f o rm e d ad e ta ile d a n a ly s is , v iab o th the M edi ca l V ocat i on al G ui del i nes and a vocat i on al expert , re gardi ng the ef fe cther b ila te r a l m a n ip u la tiv e lim ita tio n s h a d o n h e rab ility to p e r f o rm s e d e n ta ry w o rk . F in a lly , s h e a r g u e s th a t te s tim o n y f r o m av o c a tio n a l e x p e rt w a s r e q u ir e d to d e m o n s tr a te th a t th e r e w e r e o th e rjo b s in th e n a tio n a l e c o n o m y th a t P e r s ic h illi c o u ld h a v e p e r f

o rm e d w ith h e rr e s id u a l f u n c tio n a l c ap a c ity f

o rle s s th a n af

u ll r a n g e o f s e d e n ta ry w o rk . II. W e r e v ie w th e C o m m is s io n e r ’s d e c is io n in as o c ia l s e c u r ity c a s e to det erm i ne i f i ti s s up po rt ed by subst ant i al evi dence and w hether the corre ctl egal5

s t a nda r ds w e r e appl i e d. C r a w f or d v. C om m ’ rof

S oc . S e c . , 363 F . 3d 1155, 1158 (11th C i r. 20 04 ). A s ageneralrul e, ho w ever , “ thi s c ou rtw i l l no taddres s an a r g u m e n t th a t h a s n o t b e e n r a is e d in th e d is tr ic t c o u rt.” S te w a rt v . D e p ’t o f H e a lth a nd H um a n S e rvs . , 26 F . 3d 115, 115 ( 11th C i r . 1994) ; s e e a l s o J one s v. A pf e l , 190 F . 3d 1224, 1228 ( 11th C i r . 1999) ( de c l i ni ng t o c ons i de ra n i s s ue pr e s e nt e d f orthe f ir s t tim e o n ap p e a l in as o c ia l s e c u r ity c a s e ) . III. A ft era r evi ew of the re cord, w e c on clud e thatP er si chi l l i has w ai ved h er ap p e lla te a r g u m e n ts b y f a ilin g to r a is e th e m in th e d is tr ic t c o u rt. I n h e rap p e a l, P e r s i c hi l l i a r gue s tha tthe A L J i gnor e d he ri nabi l i ty t o pe r f orm af ul l r a nge of s e de nt a ry w ork be c aus e of he rnone xe rt i ona l m a ni pul a t i ve l i m i t a t i ons a nd the i m pa c tof

thos e l i m i t a t i ons on he rha nds . T hi s a r gum e ntw a s notpr e s e nt e d t o the di s tr i c tc ourt . R a the r , P e r s i c hi l l i f oc us e d on he rde pr e s s i on, the A L J ’ s r e j e c t i on of D r. S ei dm an’ s opi ni on , and the A L J’ s a l l eged ci rc um vent i on of the di stri ctcourt r e m a n d o r d e r . A c c or di ngl y , w e de c l i ne t o c ons i de rthe s e i s s ue s r a i s e d f orthe f i r s tt i m e on appe a l , a nd A F F I R M th e d e c is io n o f th e d is tr ic t c o u rt.