FIL ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T OCTOB ER 31, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 1 :0 5- cv -0 00 58 -MP -AK JOHN D. SYMONDS, Pl ai nt iff - App el la nt , ve rs us MIC HAEL J. ASTRUE, Co m m is si on er o f So ci al Secu rit y Adm in is tra ti on , Defen da nt- App el le e.

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

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

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Oct ob er 3 1, 2 01 1) Befo re EDMONDSON, W ILSON an d B LACK, Circ ui t J ud ge s.PER CURI AM:

Jo hn Sym on ds ap pe al s the di st ric t co urt’s o rd er af firm in g t he So ci al Secu rit y Co m m is si on er’s d en ia l o f hi s ap pl ic at io n fo r di sabi li ty ins ur an ce b en efi ts fo r ti m e p rio r to 11 Ju ly 200 6. No rev ers ib le erro r ha s b eensh own ; we af firm . Ourrev ie w of the Co m

m is si on er’s d eci si on is li m it edto whet he r subs ta nt ia l
ev id en ce s up po rts th e d eci si on an d wh ethe r th e co rrec t l eg al st an dard s wer e ap pl ie d. Wils on v. Ba rn ha rt, 2 84 F.3d12 19 , 12 21 (11 th Cir . 20 02 ). “ Subs ta nt ia l
ev id en ce i s m or e th ana sc in ti ll a an d i s s uc h re le va ntev 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.” Crawfo rdv. Co m m ’r of So c. Sec., 3 63 F.3d11 55 , 11 58 (11 th Cir . 20 04 ). Und er thi s l im it edst an da rdof
rev ie w, we m ay

no t m ak e fac t-f

in di ng s, re weig h t he ev id en ce, o r subs ti tu te ou r jud gm en t fo r th atof the Adm in is tra ti ve Law Ju dg e (“ ALJ”) . Moo re v . Barn ha rt, 40 5 F .3d12 08 , 12 11 (11 th Cir . 20 05 ). W e rev ie w de n ov o t he di st ric t co urt’s de te rm in at io n o n wh ethe r subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce s up po rts th e ALJ’s d eci si on . W il so n, 2 84 F.3dat 1 22 1. A per so n wh o app li es forSo ci al Secu rit y di sabi li ty ben efi ts m

us t p ro ve th at

2he is di sabl ed . See 2 0 C .F.R. § 4 04 .15 12
. The So ci al Secu rit y Reg ul at io ns 1
ou tl in e a fi ve -s te p s eque nt ia l ev al ua ti on pro ces s fo r de te rm in in g wh ethe r a cl ai m an t i s d is ab le d. 2 0 C .F.R. § 4 04 .15 20 (a)( 4) . The ALJ m us t ev al ua te whet he r (1 ) th e cl ai m an t en ga ge d i n s ub st an ti al ga in fu l wo rk ; (2 ) th e cl ai m an t h as a se ve re im pa irment; (3) th e se ve re i m pa irment m eet s o r equa ls anim pa irment o n t he 2 Lis ti ng s o f Im

pa irments ; (4 ) th e cl ai m an t h as th e res idua l fu nc ti on al cap aci ty (“ RFC” ) to pe rfo rm

hi s p as t re le va ntwork ; an d (5 ) whe th er, i n t he li gh t o f th e cl ai m an t’s RF C, ag e, educ at io n, an d wo rkex pe rie nc e, th ere a re o th er job s the cl ai m an t ca n p erfo rm . Id. On ap pe al , Sym on ds arg ue s tha t the ALJ’s co nc lu si on th athe was n ot di sabl edbe fo re 1 1 J ul y

20 06 , was ar

bi tra ry , cap ric io us , andun supp orte d b y subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce. He ass ert s tha t the reco rddo es no t d em on st rat e th athi s 3 he al th or R FC d ecl in edbe twee n 2 6 M ay 20 01 , hi s al le ge d d at e o f on se t, an d 1 1 Ju ly 200 6. Disability is the “inability

to eng ag e in any

substantial ga inful activity by rea son of any 1 medically deter minable phy sical or menta l impairment which ca n be expected to r esult in death or which ha s lasted or c an be e x pecte d to last for a c ontinuous period of not less than 12 months.” 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)( A). Her e, the ALJ conclude d that Sy monds had a seve re impairme nt of lumbar spondyloly sis 2 with chronic ba ck pain. Be cause the AL Jconclude d that Sy monds was last insured on 30 June 2005, Sy monds 3 must establish that he was disabled on or befor e that date to qualify for disability

insurance benef its. S ee Moor e, 405 F .3d at 1211. 3On 2 6 M ay 20 01 , Sym on ds su ffer eda work- rel at edin jury to h is lo wer b ack , an d u nd erwen t b acksu rg ery a few m on th s l at er. One of h is tre at in g p hysic ia ns rep orte d t ha t Symon ds reac he d m ax im um m ed ic al im

pr ov em en t o n 2 6 No ve m be r 20 02 , andwas l im it edfro m be nd in g, s qu at ti ng , li fti ng m or e th anten po un ds , st an di ng form or e th anon e h ou r, an d re pe ti ti ve us e o f hi s l eg s t o o pe rat e co nt ro ls
. InMarc h 2 00 5, an ot he r tr eat in g p hysic ia n re po rte d t ha t -- alt ho ug h S ym on ds
co m pl ai ne d o f lo wer b ackpa in -- h is ga it , m us cl e st ren gth, an d m

us cl e to ne were no rm al , andhe ha d ano rm al ran ge of m ot io n i n h is ba ck . Bas edonth is reco rd , su ffi ci en t ev id en ce s up po rts th e ALJ’s co nc lu si on th atSym on ds was c ap ab le of pe rfo rm in g s ed en ta ry

ph y si cal ex ert io n b efo re 1 1 J ul y 20 06
. 4 On 1 1 J ul y

20 06 , Sym on ds was i nv ol ve d i n acar ac ci de nt ; an d h e de ve lo pe d t hr ee h ern ia te d d is cs inhi s ce rv ic al sp in e. He tes ti fie d t ha t, b ecau se of th e n ewly-herni at eddi sc s, an d t he ne w pai n i n h is lef t s id e, hi p, an d l eg , hi s co nd it io n was wors e aft er the acci de nt . His m ed ic al reco rd s al so de m on st rat e th at hi s b ackpa in an d ri gh t l eg weakne ss were wo rs e aft er the acci de ntan d, thu s, supp ort the ALJ’s co nc lu si on th atSym on ds ’s hea lth d ecl in edaft er the acci de nt . Sym on ds als o arg ue s tha t the ALJ d idno t g iv e p ro pe r wei gh t t o t he op in io n
The ALJ deter

mined that, befor e 11 Jul y 2006, Sy monds was ca

pable of lifting, c arr

ying, 4 pushing, a

nd pulling ten pounds oc casiona lly , standingand wa lking f or an hour

at a time for about four hour s a day , and sitting for about six hours a da

y with normal brea

ks. 4of

hi s treat in g p hysic ia n, Dr. Lip ni ck , th atSym on ds ’s im pa irment r at in g was 28 pe rcen t o f th e who le pe rs on . Abs en t “ go odcau se ” to th e co nt rary, the ALJm us t gi ve subs ta nt ia l wei gh t t o t he op in io n, d ia gn os is , andm ed ic al ev id en ce o f a tre at in g p hysic ia n. Cr awfo rd , 36 3 F .3dat 1 15 9. The reco rdde m on st rat es th atth e ALJ g av e subs ta nt ia l wei gh t t o Dr. Lip ni ck ’s m ed ic al op in io n. Th e ALJ co nc lu de d t ha t, b efo re 1 1 Jul y 20 06 , Sym on ds co ul d p erfo rm

sed en ta ry

ph y si cal ex ert io n, i nc lu di ng li fti ng , carrying , pu sh in g, an d p ul li ng ten po un ds oc cas io na ll y , st an di ng an d wal ki ng foron e h ou r ata ti m e fo r ab ou t fo urho ur s a d ay , andsi tt in g fo r si x h ou rs a da y with n orm al br eak s. Th is co nc lu si on was c on si st en t wi th Dr. Lip ni ck ’s ass es sm en t tha t, as of 8 Decem be r 20 02 , Sy

m on ds was l im it edfro m

be nd in g, s qu at ti ng , li fti ng m or e th an te n p ou nd s, s ta nd in g fo r m or e th anon e h ou r, an d re pe ti ti ve us e o f hi s l eg s t o op erat e co nt ro ls . Alth ou gh th e ALJ d idno t re ly on Dr. Li pn ic k’s m ed ic al op in io n th atSym on ds ha d a28 pe rcen t p erm an en t p hysic al im pa irment t o t he who le bo dy, th atim pa irment r at in g was cal cu la te d b as edon th e Fl or id a Uni fo rm Perm an en t Im pa irment R at in g S ch edul e, no t the So ci al Secu rit y Act’s d efi ni ti on of d is ab il ity . Mo reo ve r, th e u lt im at e is su e o f di sabi li ty is l eftto th e d et erm in at io n o f th e Co m m is si on er; an d ast at em en t b y a m ed ic al so ur ce tha t a c la im an t i s “ di sabl ed ”
or“un ab le to work ” is no t b in di ng on th e ALJ. 2 0 C .F.R. § 4 04 .15 27 (e). 5Sym on ds als o arg ue s tha t the ALJ erre d wh enth e ALJ d et erm in edth athi s

te st im on y ab ou t h is subjec ti ve ex pe rie nc e o f pa in was n otcred ib le . Cred ib il ity de te rm in at io ns ab ou t s ub jecti ve tes ti m on y

ge ne ral ly are res erv edto th e ALJ. See Jo hn s v . Bowe n, 8 21 F.2d55 1, 5 57 (11 th Cir . 19 87 ). Bu t “ [i]f th e ALJ d eci de s no t t o c red itsu chtes ti m on y , he m us t arti cu la te ex pl ic itan d a de qu at e rea so ns for do in g s o.” Hol t v . Sul li va n, 9 21 F.2d12 21 , 12 23 (11 th Cir . 19 91 ). Here, the ALJ co nc lu de d t ha t -- alt ho ug h S ym on ds ’s m ed ic al ly de te rm in ab le im

pa irment c ou ldreas on ab ly be ex pe ct edto pro du ce the all eg ed sym pt om s -- hi s s ta te m en ts ab ou t the in te ns ity , du rat io n, an d l im it in g e ffec ts of h is pa in be fo re 1 1 J ul y

20 06 , were “ no t en ti rel y cred ib le .” W e co nc lu de th at subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce s up po rts th e ALJ’s ad ve rs e cre di bi li ty det erm in at io n. In
su m m ari zi ng Sym on ds ’s m ed ic al reco rd s, the ALJ n ot edth at , alt ho ug h S ym on ds ha d ali m it at io n i n s tra ig htleg rai si ng on th e ri gh t, h e h ad“ m or e fac ia l g rimacin g th angu ard in g,” “ [i]m ag in g s tu di es di d n otsh ow a c le ar re as on forhi s s ym pt om s,”
an d “ th e sym

pt om s m ig htbe ex ag ge rat edor n otterrib ly physio lo gi c.” The ALJ al so in di cat edth atSym on ds ’s tes ti m on y ab ou t the li mit in g e ffec ts of h is sym pt om s was co nt rad ic te d b y hi s t es ti m on y

th athi s d ai ly acti vi ti es in cl ud ed
va cuum in g, ca rin g fo r hi s ch il dr en , andhe lp in g h is wife with t he gro cery

6sh op pi ng . See 2 0 C .F.R. § 4 04 .15 29 (e)( 3) (i) (pr ov id in g tha t the ALJ m ay 5
co ns id er a cl ai m an t’s d ai ly acti vi ti es inev al ua ti ng th e in te ns ity an d p ers is te nc e o f pa in sym pt om s)
. AFFIRMED.

In a 21 Jul y

2006 decision addr essingSy monds’s initi al application for disability 5 insurance benef

its, the AL Jalso conc luded that Sy monds’s testimony

about his pain was not cre dible based on ( 1) the objec tive medical e vidence ; (2) his “attempts to obt ain nar cotic medications which sug g est a possible re ason to exag g erate his pain complaints;” and ( 3) positive tests for coc aine a

nd marijuana

use. 7