FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T J ULY 6, 2012 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO N OT PUBLISH]

IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 1 :1 0- cv -0 00 15 -MP -GRJ GEORGE HICKS, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Pla in ti ff-Ap pe ll an t, vers us COMM ISSI ONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll D efen da nt -Ap pe ll ee.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e North ern Dis tri ctof F lo rid a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (J ul y 6, 2 01 2)

Befo re MAR CUS, PRYOR a ndBLACK, Cir cu itJu dg es .PER CURI AM:

Geo rg e Hic ks ap pe al s t he ord er t ha t af firm edth e te rm in at io n o f hi s di sabi li ty ins ur an ce b en efi ts . 42 U.S.C. § 4 05 (g ). Hick s ar gu es th atth e ad m in is tra ti ve law ju dg e fai le d t o a cco rdad equa te weig htto th e o pi ni on of h is tre at in g p hysic ia n, Dr. Os car DeP az, t ha t Hi ck s was di sabl edin20 04 . Hick s al so ch al le ng es th e fi nd in g o f th e ad m in is tra ti ve law ju dg e th atHick s’s m en ta l co nd it io n h adim

pr ov edan d h e was in el ig ib le forbe ne fit s as of J an uary 1, 2 00 2. W e aff irm. On J un e 1 6, 1 99 5, an adm in is tra ti ve law ju dg e ru le d t ha t Hi ck s was di sabl ed as of M arch 17 , 19 86 , du e to fai le d b acksyndr om e; hi s s ta tu s af te r fo urba ck su rg eri es in whi chhe ha d abu lg in g d is k re m ov ed , scr ews an d fu si onrod s i ns ert ed to st ab il iz e h is sp in e, fu si onof h is ve rte br ae atL-3/ 4 a ndL4-4 /5 , andfem or al rin gs in se rte d a t S- 5/ 5- 1; ch ro ni c b ackpa in syndr om e; an d m ajorde pr es si on . In Decem be r 20 01 , th e Co m

m is si on er co nduc te d aco nt in ui ng di sabi li ty revi ew an d de te rm in edth at , effec ti ve Jan ua ry 1, 2 00 2, Hi ck s was in el ig ib le forbe ne fit s be cau se of h is m ed ic al im pr ov em en ts . The ad m in is tra ti ve law ju dg e aff irmed th e fin di ng of t he Co m

m is si on er, b utth e d is tri ctco urt re ve rs edan d re m an de d fo r th e ad m in is tra ti ve law ju dg e to “ gi ve [] great er wei gh t” to th e o pi ni on of Hi ck s’s “ on ly 2tre at in g p hysic ia n o f rec or d a t t hi s t im e,” Dr. DePaz , andto eli ci t t es ti m on y fro m a vo cat io na l ex pe rt abo utth e job s av ai labl e to Hick s. Onrem an d, the adm in is tra ti ve la w jud ge co nduc te d a n e vi de nt ia ry he ari ng an d a ga in de te rm in edth atHick s was in el ig ib le forbe ne fit s. A m ag is tra te jud ge reco m m en de d a ffi rm in g t he de ci si on of th e ad m in is tra ti ve law ju dg e, an d t he di st ric t co urt ad op te d the reco m m en da ti on . W e rev ie w th e d eci si on by the Co m m is si on er t o d et erm in e if itis “ supp orte d by sub st an ti al ev id en ce an d b as edon pro pe r le ga l s ta nd ard s.” Win sc he l v . Co m m ’r of So c. Sec., 6 31 F.3d11 76 , 11 78 (11 th Cir . 20 11 ) (i nt ern al qu ot at io n m ark s o m it te d) . Sub st an ti al ev id en ce co ns is ts of “ su ch rel ev an t ev id en ce as a reas on ab le pe rs on wou ldacce ptas a de qu at e to supp ort a c on cl us io n.” Id. (i nt ern al qu ot at io n m ark s o m it te d) . Becau se “ [w]e m ay no t d eci de th e fac ts an ew, rewei gh th e ev id en ce, o r subs ti tu te ou r jud gm en t fo r th atof t he Co m m is si on er,” we m

us t affi rm a de ci si onsupp orte d b y

subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce, “ ev enif t he pro of pr ep on de rat es ag ai ns t i t.” Ph il li ps v. Barn ha rt, 3 57 F.3d12 32 , 12 40 n.8 (11 th Cir . 20 04 ) (i nt ern al cit at io ns an d quo ta ti on m ark s o m it te d) . Subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce s up po rts th e d eci si onof t he adm in is tra ti ve law ju dg e to ass ig n l es s wei gh t t o Dr. DeP az’s o pi ni on th atHick s was di sabl edth anto th e op in io ns of o th er p hysic ians th atHick s was ab le to work . In 2 00 4, Dr. DePa z st at edon a cl in ic al pa in ass es sm en t fo rm th atHick s co ul d n otco m pl et e a wo rk da y 3be cau se of m ark edpa in cau se d b y hi s b ackth atrequi redhi m to tak e fre qu en t br eak s, b utth e as se ss m en t was in co ns is te ntwit h Dr. DeP az’s m ed ic al no te s. Med ic al no te s fr om

Dr. DePaz’s l as t ev al ua ti on of Hi ck s i n Au gu st20 01 reco rd ed th atHick s’s b ackpa in was “ m od erat e an d c on si st en t.” Dr. DePa z’s ot he r m ed ic al no te s es tabl is he d t ha t Hi ck s’s p hysic al co nd it io n h adim pr ov edst ead il y

ov er t im e: in Ju ne 19 99 , Hick s h adrep orte d i nc reas edpa inan d s ti ffn es s s in ce a c ar ac ci de nt in Apri l 1 99 9; in Ju ly 199 9, an EMG pr oduc ed“ no rm al ” res ul ts an d, al th ou gh an MRI sh owe d abu lg in g d is c atC4 -5 an d am il d t o m od erat e n arro win g o f a s pi na l can al , Hick s h adrep orte d t ha t h is m ed ic at io ns ha d a ll ev ia te d g en eral pa in an d t ha t ph y si cal th erap y

ha d b eenso m ewh athe lp fu l; in Jan ua ry 20 00 , Hick s h adrep orte d th athi s p ai n h addi m in is he d b y 40 % aft er re cei vi ng a face t b lo ckin Nov em be r 19 99 ; i n M arch 20 00 , Hick s h adrep orte d g etti ng wors e, bu t a p hysic al ex am in at io n re ve al edth athi s s ym pt om s h adno t ch an ge d; in May andAug us t 20 00 , exa m in at io ns rev eal edth atHick s h adim pr ov edov eral l an d h e h adrep orte d th athi s m ed ic at io ns were ef fect iv e wit h n o s id e eff

ect s; in Octo be r 20 00 , Hick s ha d re po rte d t ha t h e h adbe endo in g “ pr et ty goo d” othe r th anso m e p ai n i n h is ne ckan d b ackan d o ccas io na l h ead ach es ; an d i n F eb ru ary 20 01 , Hick s h ad rep orte d t ha t a n erv e b lo ckin jecti on he ha d re cei ve d i n J an ua ry 20 01 ha d re du ced si gn ifi can tl y

pa in in hi s n eckan d b ack . 4Dr. DePaz’s as se ss m en t i n 2 00 4 a ls o was in co ns is te ntwit h t he ass es sm en ts

of ot he r ph y si ci an s i n t he las t qua rte r of 20 01 an d i n e arl y

20 02 . In No ve m

be r 20 01 , Dr. Lance Ch od os h p erfo rm eda co ns ul ta ti ve ex am in at io n andfou ndth at Hick s h ada fu ll ran ge of m ot io n e xc ep t i n h is ne ck an d s ho ul de rs an d fu ll st ren gt h in all hi s ex tre m it ie s; Hick s d idno t h av e an y sp in al im pa irment o th er t ha n a

“ m od es t d ecre as e in sp in al m ob il it y sec on da ry

to fus io n” ; an d Hi ck s co ul d b en d t o a m od erat e d eg ree, l iftan d c arry up t o 2 5 p ou nd s o ccas io na ll y , pro babl y squa t an d kn eel , andha nd le it em s o f m od erat e si ze an d wei gh t. In Decem be r 20 01 , Dr. Nich ol as Ban ck s p erfo rm eda res idua l fu nc ti on al cap aci ty ass es sm en t an d fo un d th atHick s was cap ab le of l ift in g a ndcarryin g 1 0 p ou nd s fr eque nt ly and20 po un ds oc cas io na ll y ; co ul d s ta ndor wa lkfor6 h ou rs of a n 8 -h ou r workd ay ; co ul d p us h an d p ul l wi th ou t l im it at io n; co ul d c li m b, kne el , andcrawl freque nt ly; an d c ou ld ba la nc e, st oo p, an d c ro uc h o ccas io na ll y . In Fe brua ry 20 02 , Dr. Tom

Peel e pe rfo rm edanadvi so ry

ph y si cal res idua l capa ci ty ass es sm en t an d m ad e fi nd in gs vi rtu al ly ide nt ic al to th os e m ad e b y Dr. Ban ck s. Dr. Pee le rep orte d t ha t Hi ck s was

“pa rti al ly credi bl e” an d app eare d t o “ m ag ni fy ” h is ga itan d p ai n; Dr. Peel e al so m en ti on edin hi s as se ss m en t a “ vi de ot ap e sh owi ng [Hic ks ] cu tt in g t rees an d pl ay in g v ol le y

ba ll ” an d t ha t a “ ph on e cal l t o h is [ho m e] pro du cedve rb al co nf irmatio n” of t ho se act iv it ie s. Alt ho ug h Hi ck s ar gu es th atgre at er wei gh t 5sh ou ldha ve be enass ig ne d t o Dr. DeP az’s o pi ni on as atre at in g p hysic ia n, Hi ck s

do es no t ch al le ng e th e v al id it y of t he ass es sm en ts of o th er p hysic ia ns . Tho se op in io ns supp ort t he fin di ng s o f th e ad m in is tra ti ve law ju dg e th atHick s’s co nd it io n h adim

pr ov edto th e ex te ntth athe was c ap ab le of r es um in g h is pa st work o r pe rfo rm in g u ns ki ll edli gh t wo rk . See 4 2 U.S.C. § 42 3( f); Vaug hn v. Heck le r, 72 7 F .2d10 40 , 10 43 (11 th Cir . 19 84 ) (b en efi ts can be term in at edon ce

“ th ere i s s ub st an ti al ev id en ce o f actua l i m pr ov em en t t o t he po in t o f no di sabi li ty”). Subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce al so supp orts th e d eci si on of the adm in is tra ti ve law jud ge th atHick s h adim

pr ov edm en ta ll y . Alth ou gh Hick s qua li fie d fo r be ne fit s i n 19 95 be cau se of h is vi su al an d aud it ory ha ll uc in at io ns , sev ere d ep res si on , su ic id al th ou gh ts , andps y ch os is , Hick s’s co nd it io n h adim pr ov edby D ecember 2 00 1, whe n aco ns ul ta ti ve ps y ch ol og is t, An dr es Nazari o, an d aps y ch ia tri st , Alejan dr o Verg ara, re po rte d t ha t Hi ck s s uf fere d fr om

m il d d ep res si on . Dr. Nazari o re po rte d th atHick s h adlea rn edto “ co pe wit h h is co nd it io n,” an d Dr. Ver ga ra re po rte d t ha t Hick s s uf fere d o nl y

m il d l im it at io ns in hi s d ai ly liv in g, s oc ia l fu nc ti on in g, an d co nc en tra ti on , per si st en ce, an d p ace. Al so inDecem be r 20 01 , Dr. T. W ayne Co ng er, a co ns ul ti ng ps y ch ia tri st , rep orte d t ha t Hi ck s was cap ab le of p erfo rm in g da il y li vi ng act iv it ie s i nd ep en de nt ly and , “ [a]lt ho ug h h e . . . exp eri en ce[d ] so m e de pr es si on rel at edto hi s cu rren t s itua ti on an d p hysic al pro bl em s, h e [was ] ab le to 6rel at e in a so ci al ly app ro pr ia te m an ne r an d [d id ] no t d em on st rat e a s ev ere m en ta l

im pa irment.” Hick s ar gu es , forth e fi rs t t im e, th ata se co ndhypo th et ic al qu es ti on po se d t o t he vo cat io na l ex pe rt f ai le d t o i nc or

po rat e co m

pr eh en si ve ly his im pa irments li ke hi s m en ta l co nd it io n, b utHick s wai ve d t hi s ar gu m en t b y fai li ng to pre se ntitto th e d is tri ctco urt. See Ste wartv. Dep ’t of Hea lt h & Hum anServ s., 26 F.3d11 5, 1 15 –1 6 (1 1t h C ir. 1 99 4) . W e AFFIRM th e d eci si onto term in at e Hic ks ’s ben efi ts .

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