# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 6- 12 16

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Lora D. Ham

m an

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el la nt

v.

Nan cy A. Berryhil l, Act in g C om m is si on er o f So ci al Secu rit y 1

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll ee

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s - B at es vi ll e

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Su bm it te d: Jan ua ry

10 , 20 17 Fil ed : Fe br

ua ry 24 , 20 17 [Un pu bl is he d]

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Befo re COLLOTON, MURPHY, and MELLOY, Circu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

Pu rs ua nt to Fed eral Ru le of App el la te Pro ced ur e 43 (c)( 2)
, Nan cy A. Berr y hi ll 1 is su bs ti tu te d fo r Caro lyn Co lv in as th e Acti ng Co m m is si on er of th e So ci al Secu rit y Adm in is tra ti on

.Lora Ham m an ap pl ie d fo r di sa bi li ty in su ran ce be ne fit s, as se rti ng th at sh e was di sa bl ed du e to a co m

bi na ti on of ph y si cal an d m en ta l im pa irments

. Her ap pl ic at io n

was de ni ed by an ad m in is tra ti ve la w ju dg e (ALJ), who co nc lu de d th at sh e su ffer ed
fro m se ve re im

pa irments bu t was no ne th el es s cap ab le of pe rfo rm in g so m e wor k. The App eal s Cou nc il de cl in ed to rev ie w he r cas e. Ham m an th en so ug ht jud ic ia l revi ew

an d t he di st ric t co ur t affi rm ed th e de ni al of be ne fit s. Ham m an ap pe al s, an d we 2
affi rm

.

Ham m an ap pl ie d fo r di sa bi li ty in su ran ce be ne fit s in Mar ch 20 12
, al le gi ng th at sh e ha d be en di sa bl ed si nc e Aug us t 20 0 8 du e to fib ro m y al gi a, irr it ab le bo wel synd ro m e, ga st rit is
, de pr es si on , an xi et y , fas t he art rat e, an d no du le s on th y ro id

. Afte r

a he ari ng at whi ch Ham

m an an d a vo cat io na l ex pe rt te st ifi ed
, th e ALJ co nd uc te d th e fiv e st ep se qu en ti al ev al ua ti on an al y si s an d de ni ed h er cl ai m

. See 20 C.F.R. § 40 4.1 52 0( a)(4 ). The ALJ fo un d th at Ham m an su ffer ed fro m th e se ve re im pa irments
of m ajor de pr es si ve di so r de r, ge ne ral iz ed an xi et y di so rd er, so m at of or m di so rd er,
pe rs on al it y di so rd er, fib ro m y al gi a, a n d po ss ib le sm al l fib er ne ur op at hy. See 20
C.F.R. § 40 4.1 52 0( a)(4 )(i i). The ALJ de te rm in ed th at Ham m an ha d th e res id ua l
fu nc ti on al cap aci ty (RFC ) to pe rfo rm a red uc ed ran ge of se de nt ary wor k. Bas ed on
t h a t RFC, th e ALJ co nc lu de d th at Ham m an co ul d pe rfo rm job s th at ex is t i n si gn ifi can t nu m

be rs in th e na ti on al eco no m y an d th eref

or e was no t di sa bl ed

. See 20 C.F.R. § 40 4.1 52 0( a)(4 )(v ).

In a s s e ss in g Ham

m an 's RFC, th e ALJ fo un d th at Ham m an 's st at em en ts

co nc ern in g th e in te ns it y , pe rs is te nc e, an d li m it in g effe ct s of he r sym pt om s were "n ot

en ti rel y cred ib le ." The ALJ al so ga ve "l it tl e weig ht " to th e m ed ic al so ur ce st at em en t

o f H am m an 's tre at in g ph y si ci an , Dr. Aru n Varad ha ch ary, be cau se it w a s

The Hon or ab le J. Leo n Ho lm es , Uni te d S ta te s Dist ric t Ju dg e fo r th e Eas te rn 2 Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s, ad op ti ng in pa rt th e Pro po se d Fi nd in gs an d Rec om m en da ti on s of th e Hon or ab le Jo e J. Vol pe , Uni te d St at es Mag is tra te Ju dg e fo r th e East ern Dis tri ct of Arka ns as

.
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-"u ne xp la in ed ," "u ns up po rte d by refe ren ce to an y po si ti ve m ed ic al fin di ng s," an d

su gg es te d th at "'p sycho so ci al ' ci rcu m st an ces were a m ajor fact or in th e as se ss m en t."
Acco rd in g to th e vo cat io na l ex pe rt who te st ifi ed at th e he ari ng , an in di vi du al wit h th e li m it at io ns de sc rib ed by H am m an or Dr. Var ad ha ch ary wou ld be un ab le to work

.

Ham m an ap pe al s, arg ui ng th at th e ALJ's de ci si on was no t s u p p o r t ed by

su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce. W e rev ie w de no vo a di st ric t co ur t or de r "af fir m in g a de ni al of

so ci al se cu rit y in su ran ce be ne fit s an d affi rm if th e ALJ's de ci si on is ' s up po rte d by

su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce on th e reco rd as a who le .'" Sm it h v. Co lv in
, 75 6 F.3 d 62 1, 62 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 14 ) (q uo ti ng Teag ue v. Ast ru e , 6 3 8 F

. 3 d 61 1, 61 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 11 )).
Su bs ta nt ia l ev id e n c e is su ch ev id en ce th at "a reas on ab le m in d m ig ht acce pt as

a d e qu at e to su pp or t" th e di sa bi li ty de te rm in at io n, ev en if th e ev id en ce co u l d a l s o

" h a v e s u p p o rte d an op po si te de ci si on ." W il li am s v. Su ll iv an , 9 60 F.2 d 86 , 8 9 (8 th
Ci r. 19 92 ) (ci ta ti on s o m it te d)

.

Ham m an fir st arg ue s th at th e A LJ e rro ne ou sl y di sc ou nt ed th e op in io n of he r
tre at in g ph y si ci an , Dr. Varad ha ch ary. A tre at in g ph y si ci an 's op in io n sh ou ld be gi ve n

co nt ro ll in g weig ht whe n it "i s well -s up po rte d by m ed ic al ly acce pt ab le cl in ic al an d
la bo rat or y di ag no st ic te ch ni qu es an d is no t in co ns is te nt wit h th e ot he r s u b s ta nt ia l

ev id en ce in th e reco rd ." Kro gm ei er v. Barn ha rt, 29 4 F.3 d 10 19
, 10 23 (8 th Ci r. 20 02 );

se e 2 0 C .F.R. § 40 4.1 52 7( c)(2 ). Here, Dr. Varad ha ch ary no te d th at Ham m an 's

sym pt om s were on ly "p art ia ll y ex pl ai ne d" by he r "s m al l fib er ne ur op at hy," bu t fai le d

to ex pl ai n wha t ot he r m ed ic al ev id en ce m ay su pp or t hi s op in io n. Fu r t h er, th e

m ajor it y of hi s as se ss m en t co ns is te d of ch e c k ed bo xe s an d co nc lu so ry st at em en ts , whi ch are of li m it ed ev id en ti ary v a l u e

. Hol m st ro m v. Mas sa na ri, 27 0 F.3 d 71 5,
72 0– 21 (8 th Ci r. 20 01 ). The ALJ th eref or e di d no t err i n d e c l i n i ng to gi ve Dr.
Varad ha ch ary's op in io n co nt ro l l i n g weig ht
, pa rti cu la rly gi ve n th e ot he r su bs ta nt ia l

ev id en ce in th e reco rd su pp or ti ng th e ALJ's res id ua l fu nc ti on al cap aci ty as se ss m en t.
See Go ff v . Barn ha rt, 4 21 F.3d 78 5, 7 90 (8t h C ir. 2 00 5)

.

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-Ham

m an al so arg ue s th at th e ALJ's fin di ng th at sh e was "n ot en ti rel y cred ib le "
is no t su pp or te d by su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce. H a mm an is co rrec t th at an ALJ m ay no t fin d th at a c la im an t wit h so m at of or m di so rd er la ck s cred ib il it y so le ly be cau se th e cl ai m an t's se lf rep or ti ng of sym pt om s is no t su pp or te d by ob jecti ve m ed ic al da ta ; th at di sp ari ty it se lf is sym

pt om at ic of so m at of

or m di so rd er, w hi ch "ca us es [in di vi du al s]

to ex ag ge rat e [th ei r] ph y si cal pr o b le m s in [th ei r] m in d[ s] be y on d wha t th e m ed ic al
da ta in di cat e[s ]. " Eas te r v. B owe n, 8 67 F.2d 11 28 , 1 13 0 (8 th Ci r. 19 89 ) (em ph as is
ad de d)

. Eve n as s u mi n g t h a t th e ALJ erre d in th is res pe ct , ho wev er, rev ers al is no t

warra nt ed be cau se "t he rem ai nd er of th e reco rd

. . . su pp or t[s ] [th e] ALJ's cred ib il it y de te rm in at io n." Ch an ey v. Co lv in
, 81 2 F.3 d 67 2, 67 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 16 ). Here, th e ALJ
al so fo un d th at Ham

m an ' s c o n se rv at iv e tre at m en t hi st or y an d da il y act iv it ie s were in co ns is te nt wit h he r rep or te d di sa bl in g co nd it io ns , whi ch pr ov id es su bs ta nt ia l

ev id en ce t o su pp or t th e ALJ's cred ib il it y de te rm in at io n. See Turp in v. Co lv in , 75 0
F.3 d 9 89 , 99 3– 94 (8t h C ir. 2 01 4)

.

The ALJ's de te rm in at io ns were fu ll y su pp o r t e d b y th e reco rd as a who le

. Fu rth er, th e so m at of

or m di ag no si s of an ev al ua t i ng ps y ch ol og is t was m ad e in Ju ly
20 13
, fo ur m on th s be fo re th e ALJ's de ci si on , an d th e ALJ co ns id ered th at di ag no si s in hi s op in io n. W e th eref or e co nc lu de th at no fu rth er de ve lo pm en t of th e r e c o r d is

ne ces sa ry an d we a ffi rm

th e d en ia l o f be ne fit s.

MELLOY, Circu it Ju dg e, di ss en ti ng

.

At th e co nc lu si on of Ham m an ’s he ari ng , th e ALJ req u es te d th at Ham m an

u n d e r g o a ps y ch ol og ic al ev al ua ti on

. The ev al ua ti ng ps y ch ol og is t su bs eq ue nt ly

su bm it te d a rep or t di ag no si ng Ham m an , fo r th e fir st ti m e, wit h so m at of or m di so rd er. As we rece nt ly no te d, so m at of or m di so rd ers “ m ay , in fact
, be de bi li ta ti ng ev en whe n cl in ic al or di ag no st ic m ed ic al ev id en ce doe s not fu lly supp or t th e cl ai m ed sym

pt om s.”
Nowl in g v. Co lv in
, 81 3 F.3 d 11 10
, 11 14 (8 th Ci r. 20 16 ). An in di vi du a l wit h a

so m a t o f o r m di so rd er “ act ua ll y be li ev es he rs el f to be ex pe rie nc in g sym pt om s at a

-4

-gr eat er le ve l of se ve rit y th an cl in i c a l e v id en ce can su pp or t.” Id

. Acco rd in gl y , th e

m ajor it y co rrec tl y no te s th at an ALJ can no t m ak e an ad ve rs e c r e d i b il it y fin di ng si m pl y be cau se th e so m at of

or m su ffer er’s co m

pl ai nt s are no t su pp or te d by ob jecti ve

m ed ic al da ta . See Eas te r v. B owe n, 8 67 F.2d 11 28 , 11 31 (8t h C ir. 1 98 9)

.

The reco rd st ro ng ly su gg es ts , ho wev er, th at ne it he r Ham m an no r th e ALJ

un de rs to od th e si gn ifi can c e of Ham m an ’s so m at of

or m di ag no si s be fo re th e ALJ’s
de ci si on

. The ev a l u a t i n g p sycho lo gi st di d no t ex pl ai n th e di ag no si s in he r rep or t. And th e di ag no si s cam e la te in th e di sa bi li ty de te rm in a t i o n pr oc es s, aft er th e ALJ

req ue st ed th e ps y ch ol og ic al ev al ua ti on at Ham m an ’s he ari ng

. Bec au se so m at of or m di so rd er, pr op erl y un de r s to od
, pl aces Ham m an ’s co m

pl ai nt s in a di ffer en t li gh t, I

wou ld rem an d fo r fu rth er co ns id erat io n a nd de ve lo pm en t o f th e rec or d.

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