PAGE 1 – OPINION AND ORDER

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON

MELISSA LYNN RAMBOW,

Plaintiff,

v.

NANCY A. BERRYHILL,

Commissioner of Social Security,

Defendant.

Case No. 3:16-cv-0796-PK

OPINION AND ORDER

Michael H. Simon, District Judge.

United States Magistrate Judge Paul Papak issued Findings and Recommendation

(“F&R”) in this case on August 31, 2017. ECF 21. Judge Papak recommended that the finding of 

the Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner”) that Plaintiff is not disabled be affirmed.

Under the Federal Magistrates Act (“Act”), the Court may “accept, reject, or modify, in 

whole or in part, the findings or recommendations made by the magistrate.” 28 U.S.C. 

§ 636(b)(1). If a party files objections to a magistrate’s findings and recommendations, “the court 

shall make a de novo determination of those portions of the report or specified proposed findings 

or recommendations to which objection is made.” Id.; Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b)(3). 
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For those portions of a magistrate’s findings and recommendations to which neither party 

has objected, the Act does not prescribe any standard of review. See Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 

140, 152 (1985) (“There is no indication that Congress, in enacting [the Act], intended to require 

a district judge to review a magistrate’s report to which no objections are filed.”); United States. 

v. Reyna-Tapia, 328 F.3d 1114, 1121 (9th Cir. 2003) (en banc) (holding that the court must 

review de novo magistrate’s findings and recommendations if objection is made, “but not 

otherwise”). Although in the absence of objections no review is required, the Act “does not 

preclude further review by the district judge[] sua sponte . . . under a de novo or any other 

standard.” Thomas, 474 U.S. at 154. Indeed, the Advisory Committee Notes to Fed. R. Civ. P. 

72(b) recommend that “[w]hen no timely objection is filed,” the Court review the magistrate’s 

recommendations for “clear error on the face of the record.”

Plaintiff timely filed an objection (ECF 23), to which Defendant responded. ECF 25. 

Plaintiff objects that the F&R: (1) failed to address Plaintiff’s argument that the Administrative 

Law Judge (“ALJ”) failed to comply with Social Security Rule (“SSR”) 83-20; (2) improperly 

concluded that the ALJ did not err in failing to require a neurocognitive examination of Plaintiff; 

(3) improperly concluded that the ALJ did not err at step two in the five-step social security 

analysis; (4) improperly concluded that the ALJ did not err in evaluating the medical testimony; 

and (5) improperly concluded that the ALJ did not err in analyzing Plaintiff’s subjective 

testimony. The Court has reviewed de novo these portions of the F&R, Plaintiff’s objections, 

Defendant’s response, the underlying briefing before Judge Papak, and the relevant portions of 

the administrative record. For the reasons discussed below, the F&R is adopted in part.
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DISCUSSION

A. SSR 83-20

Plaintiff argued in her briefing before the Magistrate Judge that the ALJ erred by failing 

to comply with SSR 83-20. This alleged error was not addressed in the F&R.

SSR 83-20 requires, in relevant part,

In addition to determining that an individual is disabled, the 

decisionmaker must also establish the onset date of disability.

* * *

Precise Evidence Not Available—Need for Inferences 

In some cases, it may be possible, based on the medical evidence 

to reasonably infer that the onset of a disabling impairment(s) 

occurred some time prior to the date of the first recorded medical 

examination, e.g., the date the claimant stopped working. How 

long the disease may be determined to have existed at a disabling 

level of severity depends on an informed judgment of the facts in 

the particular case. This judgment, however, must have a 

legitimate medical basis. At the hearing, the administrative law 

judge (ALJ) should call on the services of a medical advisor when 

onset must be inferred. If there is information in the file indicating 

that additional medical evidence concerning onset is available, 

such evidence should be secured before inferences are made.

If reasonable inferences about the progression of the impairment 

cannot be made on the basis of the evidence in file and additional 

relevant medical evidence is not available, it may be necessary to 

explore other sources of documentation. Information may be 

obtained from family members, friends, and former employers to 

ascertain why medical evidence is not available for the pertinent 

period and to furnish additional evidence regarding the course of

the individual’s condition. . . . The impact of lay evidence on the 

decision of onset will be limited to the degree it is not contrary to 

the medical evidence of record.

* * *

The onset date should be set on the date when it is most reasonable 

to conclude from the evidence that the impairment was sufficiently 

severe to prevent the individual from engaging in SGA (or gainful 
PAGE 4 – OPINION AND ORDER

activity) for a continuous period of at least 12 months or result in 

death. Convincing rationale must be given for the date selected.

SSR 83-20, available at 1983 WL 31249.

The Ninth Circuit has “explained this ruling to mean that ‘[i]n the event that the medical 

evidence is not definite concerning the onset date and medical inferences need to be made, 

SSR 83-20 requires the [ALJ] to call upon the services of a medical advisor and to obtain all 

evidence which is available to make the determination.’” Sam v. Astrue, 550 F.3d 808, 810 (9th 

Cir. 2008) (alterations in original) (quoting DeLorme v. Sullivan, 924 F.2d 841, 848 (9th 

Cir. 1991)). To trigger the procedures required in SSR 83-20, either the ALJ must make an 

explicit finding of disability or the record must contain substantial evidence showing that the 

claimant was disabled at some point after the date last insured, thus raising a question of onset 

date. Id. at 810-811. 

Here, the ALJ made the requisite explicit finding of disability, finding Plaintiff disabled 

as of March 1, 2013. This finding, however, was based on medical inferences. The ALJ does not 

cite to any specific medical record in making this finding, but merely notes generally that the 

medical records support a March 1, 2013 onset date. There are, however, medical records from 

early 2012 showing a significant progression of Plaintiff’s multiple sclerosis. Accordingly, the 

medical evidence is not definite, the onset date is based on medical inferences, and the 

requirements of SSR 83-20 were triggered. Thus, the ALJ was required to call upon the services 

of a medical advisor to establish Plaintiff’s disability onset date. The ALJ erred by failing to do 

so.

B. Evaluation of the Opinion of Dr. Kevin Jamison, M.D.

The Court does not adopt the portion of the F&R relating to the ALJ’s evaluation of the 

opinion of Plaintiff’s treating physician, Dr. Jamison. The ALJ noted Dr. Jamison’s opinions 
PAGE 5 – OPINION AND ORDER

relating to Plaintiff’s limitations and the ALJ applied some of those limitations to Plaintiff’s RFC 

after March 1, 2013, but did not include those limitations in Plaintiff’s RFC applying before that 

date. Because the Court has found that the ALJ erred in choosing the March 1, 2013 disability 

onset date without using a medical advisor, the Court finds the ALJ erred in applying 

Dr. Jamison’s limitations only to March 1, 2013 and after.

Moreover, Dr. Jamison opined to limitations that were not included in either RFC, 

including that Plaintiff’s attention and concentration would be impaired 10 percent of the work 

week and that her symptoms would interfere with her attention and concentration required to 

perform simple work tasks for up to one-third of a workday. Although the ALJ noted these 

limitations, because they were not included in either RFC, they were effectively rejected. The 

ALJ, however, did not provide any reason for rejecting or discounting Dr. Jamison’s opinion. 

The Commissioner argues that the opinions of Dr. Jamison’s not included in the RFC were 

properly rejected because they were contradicted by the state examining physicians and because 

the ALJ discussed all of the relevant medical evidence and then made her findings.

Generally, “a treating physician’s opinion carries more weight than an examining 

physician’s, and an examining physician’s opinion carries more weight than a reviewing 

physician’s.” Holohan v. Massanari, 246 F.3d 1195, 1202 (9th Cir. 2001). If a treating 

physician’s opinion is supported by medically acceptable techniques and is not inconsistent with 

other substantial evidence in the record, the treating physician’s opinion is given controlling 

weight. Id.; see also 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d)(2). Even if the treating physician’s testimony is 

contradicted by substantial evidence, “[i]n many cases [it] will [nonetheless] be entitled to the 

greatest weight and should be adopted, even [though] it does not meet the test for controlling 

weight.” Orn v. Astrue, 495 F.3d 625, 631 (9th Cir. 2007)
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An ALJ may reject the testimony of a treating physician in favor of the contradictory 

testimony of a non-treating doctor only if the ALJ provides “specific and legitimate” reasons that 

are supported by substantial evidence in the record. Holohan, 246 F.3d at 1202. The ALJ must, 

however, still give deference to the treating physician’s opinion and weigh it according to the 

factors prescribed in 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527, including the length of the treatment relationship, 

frequency of examination, and the nature and extent of the treatment relationship. 

§ 1404.1527(c). Here, the ALJ provided no reason for rejecting Dr. Jamison’s opinion. Contrary 

to the Commissioner’s argument, the ALJ made no specific finding regarding why she was not 

including Dr. Jamison’s limitations. Nor did the ALJ apply any of the § 404.1527 factors.

Because the ALJ failed properly to evaluate Dr. Jamison’s testimony or to provide specific and 

legitimate1reasons for rejecting it, the rejection was in error, even if the record contained 

contradictory testimony from a non-treating doctor.

C. Remaining Objections

The Court has reviewed Plaintiff’s remaining objections to the F&R—that Judge Papak 

erred in his conclusions regarding the ALJ’s alleged errors in failing to obtain a neurocognitive 

examination, failing to find additional severe impairments at step two, evaluating the medical 

testimony of Dr. Cheryl Brichetto, and evaluating Plaintiff’s subjective testimony. The Court 

agrees with Judge Papak’s reasoning and analyses and adopts these portions of the F&R.

D. Remand

Within the Court’s discretion under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) is the “decision whether to 

remand for further proceedings or for an award of benefits.” Holohan v. Massanari, 246 

 

1

Plaintiff argues that the ALJ needed to provide “clear and convincing” reasons. Because 

the Court finds that the ALJ did not provide even the lower standard of “specific and legitimate” 

reasons, the Court does not reach Plaintiff’s argument that the appropriate standard under the 

circumstances of this case is clear and convincing.
PAGE 7 – OPINION AND ORDER

F.3d 1195, 1210 (9th Cir. 2001) (citation omitted). Although a court should generally remand to 

the agency for additional investigation or explanation, a court has discretion to remand for 

immediate payment of benefits. Treichler v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec. Admin., 775 F.3d 1090, 1099-

1100 (9th Cir. 2014). The issue turns on the utility of further proceedings. A remand for an 

award of benefits is appropriate when no useful purpose would be served by further 

administrative proceedings or when the record has been fully developed and the evidence is 

insufficient to support the Commissioner’s decision. Id. at 1100. A court may not award benefits

punitively and must conduct a “credit-as-true” analysis on evidence that has been improperly 

rejected by the ALJ to determine if a claimant is disabled under the Act. Strauss v. Comm’r of 

the Soc. Sec. Admin., 635 F.3d 1135, 1138 (9th Cir. 2011).

In the Ninth Circuit, the “credit-as-true” doctrine is “settled” and binding on this Court. 

Garrison v. Colvin, 759 F.3d 995, 999 (9th Cir. 2014). The United States Court of Appeals for 

the Ninth Circuit articulates the rule as follows:

The district court must first determine that the ALJ made a legal 

error, such as failing to provide legally sufficient reasons for 

rejecting evidence. If the court finds such an error, it must next 

review the record as a whole and determine whether it is fully 

developed, is free from conflicts and ambiguities, and all essential 

factual matters have been resolved. In conducting this review, the 

district court must consider whether there are inconsistencies 

between the claimant’s testimony and the medical evidence in the 

record, or whether the government has pointed to evidence in the 

record that the ALJ overlooked and explained how that evidence 

casts into serious doubt the claimant’s claim to be disabled. Unless 

the district court concludes that further administrative proceedings 

would serve no useful purpose, it may not remand with a direction 

to provide benefits.

If the district court does determine that the record has been fully 

developed and there are no outstanding issues left to be resolved, 

the district court must next consider whether the ALJ would be 

required to find the claimant disabled on remand if the improperly 

discredited evidence were credited as true. Said otherwise, the 
PAGE 8 – OPINION AND ORDER

district court must consider the testimony or opinion that the ALJ 

improperly rejected, in the context of the otherwise undisputed 

record, and determine whether the ALJ would necessarily have to 

conclude that the claimant were disabled if that testimony or 

opinion were deemed true. If so, the district court may exercise its 

discretion to remand the case for an award of benefits. A district 

court is generally not required to exercise such discretion, 

however. District courts retain flexibility in determining the 

appropriate remedy and a reviewing court is not required to credit 

claimants’ allegations regarding the extent of their impairments as 

true merely because the ALJ made a legal error in discrediting 

their testimony.

Dominguez v. Colvin, 808 F.3d 403, 407-08 (9th Cir. 2015) (internal citations and quotation 

marks omitted). 

Because the record is not fully developed and Plaintiff’s disability onset date needs to be 

determined with the assistance of a medical advisor, the Court finds that additional proceedings 

are necessary. Accordingly, remand for an award of benefits is not appropriate.

CONCLUSION

The Findings and Recommendation (ECF 21) is ADOPTED IN PART, as discussed in 

this Opinion and Order. The Commissioner’s decision that Plaintiff is not disabled is 

REVERSED AND REMANDED for further proceedings consistent with this Opinion and Order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED this 26th day of September, 2017.

/s/ Michael H. Simon

Michael H. Simon

United States District Judge