FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTH CI RCUI T J UL Y 11, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE U

NITED STATE S COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 1- 10 35 6 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock et No. 8 :0 9- cv -0 24 90 -TGW

JUAN HERNANDEZ,

lll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll an t,

ve rs 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 Defen da nt -Ap pe ll ee.

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

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t for th e Mi dd le Dis tri ct of F lo rid a

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (J ul y 11 , 20 11 )

Befo re MAR CUS, MARTIN an d ANDERSON, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.
PER CURI AM:

Ju an Hern an de z ap pe al s th e di st ric t co ur t’s ord er affir m in g Mic ha el Ast ru e’s
(“ th e Co m

m is si on er”) de ni al of hi s ap pl ic at io n fo r di sa bi li ty i ns ur an ce be ne fit s, 42U.S.C. § 40 5( g) , an d Su pp le m en ta l Secu rit y In co m e be ne fit s, 42 U.S.C. § 13 83 (c)( 3)

.

On ap pe al , Hern an de z arg u e s t h a t th e Adm in is tra ti ve Law Ju dg e (“ ALJ”) erre d by

fin di ng th at he co ul d ret ur n to hi s pa st rel ev an t wor k as a tru ck dr iv er. Afte r care fu l

rev ie w, we affi rm

.
W e rev ie w th e Co m

m is si on er’s fact ua l fin di ng s to de te rm in e whe th er th ey are

su pp or te d by su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce. In gr am v. Co m m ’r of So c. Sec. Adm in ., 49 6 F.3 d

12 53 , 12 60 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 07 ). S u b s t a n t i a l ev id en ce is de fin ed as “ su ch rel ev an t

ev id en ce as a reas on ab le pe rs on wou ld acce pt as ad eq ua te to su pp or t a co nc lu si on .”

Bl oo ds wor th v. Heck l e r , 7 03 F.2 d 12 33 , 12 39 (1 1t h Ci r. 19 83 ). It is “ m or e th an a

sc in ti ll a, bu t le ss th an a pr ep on de ran ce.” Id

. In co nd uc ti ng th is rev ie w, we m ay no t

rewei gh th e ev id en ce or su bs ti tu te ou r jud gm en t f or th at of th e ALJ. Dy er v.

Barn ha rt, 39 5 F.3 d 12 06 , 12 10 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 05 ). On th e ot he r ha nd , we wil l rev ers e

whe re th e ALJ fai ls to ap pl y th e co rre c t l a w o r to “ pr ov id e [u s] wit h su ffi ci en t

reas on in g fo r de te rm in in g th at th e pr op er le ga l an al y si s ha s be en co nd uc te d.” Keet on
v. Dep ’t of Hea lt h & Hum an Serv s., 2 1 F .3d 10 64 , 10 66 (11 th Cir . 19 94 ).

The so ci al se cu rit y reg u l a t i on s es ta bl is h a fiv e-s te p, se qu en ti al ev al ua ti on

pr oc es s to de te rm in e di sa bi li ty fo r bo th SSI an d di sa bi li ty be ne fi t s cl ai m s. See 20

C.F.R. §§ 40 4.1 52 0, 41 6.9 20

. The ALJ mu st ev al ua te : (1 ) whe th er th e cl ai m an t

en g a g e d in su bs ta nt ia l ga in fu l em pl oym en t; (2 ) whe th er th e cl ai m an t ha s a se ve re

2im

pa irment; (3 ) whe th er th e se ve re im pa irment m eet s or eq ua ls an im pa irment in th e

Lis t i n g of Im

pa irments ; or (4 ) whe th er th e cl ai m an t ha s th e res id ua l fu nc ti on al

cap aci ty (“ RFC” ) to pe rfo rm hi s pa st rel ev an t wor k; an d (5 ) whe th er, in li gh t of th e

cl ai m ant’ s RFC, ag e, ed uc at io n an d wor k ex pe rie nc e, th ere are ot he r job s th e cl ai m an t

can pe r f o r m. S e e Ph il li ps v. Barn ha rt, 35 7 F.3 d 12 32 , 12 37 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 04 ); 20
C.F.R. § § 4 04 .15 20 (a)( 4) , 41 6.9 20 (a)( 4)

.
The se qu en ti al p r o c e s s pl aces a “ ve ry he av y bu rd en ” on th e cl ai m an t to

de m on st rat e bo th a qu al ifyin g d i s a bi li ty an d an in ab il it y to pe rfo rm pa st rel ev an t

wor k. Mo or e v. Barn ha rt, 4 0 5 F.3 d 12 08 , 12 11 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 05 ). Thro ug ho ut th e

pr oc es s, th e bu rd en is on th e cl a i m an t to in tro du ce ev id en ce in su pp or t of hi s

ap pl ic at io n fo r be ne fit s. Ell is on v. Barn ha rt, 35 5 F.3 d 12 72 , 12 76 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 03 ).

At st ep fo ur of th e se qu en ti al ev al ua ti on pr oc es s, th e ALJ as se s s es th e

cl ai m an t’s RFC an d a cl ai m an t’s abi li ty to do pa st rel ev an t work

. See 20 C.F.R. §§

40 4.1 52 0( a)(4 )(i v) , 41 6.9 20 (a)( 4) (iv ). The RFC is “ an as se ss m en t, ba se d up on al l of

th e rel ev an t e v i d en ce, of a cl ai m an t’s rem ai ni ng ab il it y to do wor k de sp it e hi s

im pa irments .” Lewis v. Cal la ha n, 12 5 F.3 d 14 36 , 1 44 0 (1 1t h Ci r. 19 97 ) (ci t i n g 20

C.F.R. § 4 0 4

. 1 54 5( a)). The cl ai m an t be ars th e bu rd en of sh owi ng th at he can no t

pe rfo rm hi s pa st wor k as he act ua ll y pe rfo rm ed it an d as it is ge ne ral ly pe rfo rm ed in

th e na ti on al eco no m

y

. See So ci al Secu rit y Ru li ng (“ SSR” ) 82 -6 1, av ai la bl e at 19 82

3W L 31 38 7; se e al so 20 C.F.R. §§ 40 4.1 52 0( f), 41 6.9 20 (f). W e ha ve co ns tru ed th os e

reg ul at io ns to req ui re th at a cl ai m an t pr ov e th at he i s n o t a b l e to “ pe rfo rm hi s pa st

ki nd of wor k, no t th at he m erel y b e u na bl e to pe rfo rm a sp eci fic job he he ld in th e

pa st .” Ja ck so n v. Bo wen , 8 0 1 F

. 2 d 12 91 , 12 93 -9 4 (1 1t h Ci r. 19 86 ) (em ph as is in

or ig in al ) (h ol di ng th at , al th ou gh cl ai m an t sh owe d th at he co ul d no t pe rfo rm hi s pa st
job as a li nk be lt op erat or at a pi pe m an uf act ur in g fact or y , he di d no t sh ow th at he

co ul d no t pe rfo rm su ch job s in ge ne ral be cau se he di d no t sh ow th at cl im bi n g an d

de sc en di ng st ai rs is ge ne ral ly a requ is it e o f su ch job s)

.
An ALJ m ay rel y on in fo rm at io n co nt ai ne d in th e Dict io na ry of Occu pa ti on al

Tit le s (“ DOT”) to de te rm in e whe th er a cl ai m an t can pe rfo rm hi s pa st rel ev an t work

as it is ge ne ral ly pe r f

o r m ed in th e na ti on al eco no m y

. See SSR 82 -6 1; 20 C.F.R.

40 4.1 56 0( b) (2 ); Jo ne s v. Apf el , 19 0 F.3 d 12 24 , 12 30 (1 1t h Ci r. 19 99 ) (h ol di ng th at ,
whi le th e in fo rm at io n in th e DOT is no t di sp os it iv e, th e ALJ m ay “ ta ke ad m in is tra ti ve

no ti ce of rel ia bl e job in fo rm at io n av ai la bl e fro m va rio us go ve rn m en ta l a n d ot he r

pu bl ic at io n s , s uc h as th e DOT”). Gen eral ly, vo cat io na l ex pe rt te st im on y is no t

ne ces sa ry to de te rm in e whe th er a cl ai m an t can pe rfo rm hi s pa st rel ev an t wor k. Luc as

v. Su ll iv an , 91 8 F .2d 15 67 , 15 73 n.2 (11 th Cir . 19 90 ).

As an in it ia l m at te r, su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce su pp o r t s t he ALJ’s fin di ng th at

Hern a n d e z co ul d pe rfo rm pa st rel ev an t wor k. The ALJ fo un d th at Hern an de z was

4cap ab le of pe rfo rm in g li gh t wo r k

. H e r n a nd ez do es no t ch al le ng e th at fin di ng on

ap pe al , an d th us ab an do ns an y ch al le ng e to th at fin di ng

. See All st at e In s. Co

. v.

Swan n, 27 F.3 d 15 39 , 15 42 (1 1t h Ci r. 19 94 ) (n ot in g th at is su es no t rai se d on ap pe al

are c on si de red ab an do ne d)

.
Mo reo ve r, th e ALJ’s de te rm in at io n t h a t Hern an de z co ul d pe rfo rm hi s pa st

rel ev an t wor k as a tru ck dr i v e r, as it is pe rfo rm ed in th e ge ne ral eco no m y , is

su pp or te d by su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce. The reco rd de m on st rat es th at th e ALJ ad eq ua te ly

co ns id ered ev id en ce of th e du t i e s o f a type of tru ck dr iv er, a te le ph on e-d ire ct or y

di st rib ut or , in fin di ng th at Hern an de z co ul d pe rfo rm wor k of th e sa m e ki nd as pa st

rel ev an t wor k. In m ak in g th is fin di ng , t h e A LJ refe rred to th e DOT id en ti fic at io n

nu m be r fo r the te le phon e- di rect or y di st rib ut or po si ti on

. Fro m th e DOT cl as si fic at io n,

th e ALJ de te rm in ed th at th e te le ph on e-d ire ct or y di st rib ut or p o s i t i o n req ui red on ly

li gh t ex ert io n. The ALJ was pe rm it te d to rel y on th e DOT cl as si fic at io ns to de te rm in e

whe th er Hern an de z’s pa st rel ev an t wor k was li gh t in ex ert io n as it is ge ne ral ly

pe rfo rm ed in th e na ti on al eco no m y

. See SSR 82 -6 1; 20 C.F.R. § 40 4.1 56 0( b) (2 ) ;

Jo ne s, 19 0 F.3 d at 12 30

. The D O T d o es , in fact , in di cat e th at th e po si ti on of

te le ph on e-d ire ct or y di st rib ut or req ui res a li gh t le ve l of ex ert io n

. See DOT Lis ti ng

No. 90 6.6 83 -0 18 , av ai la bl e at DICOT § 90 6.6 83 -0 18

. Bec au se th e ALJ de te rm in ed

th at Hern an de z’s RFC al lo wed fo r li gh t ex ert io n, an d be cau se a te le ph on e-d ire ct or y

5di st rib ut or job req ui red on ly li gh t ex ert io n, th ere was su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce to su pp or t

th e ALJ’s d eci si on in th is cas e. 1

Acco rd in gl y , we affi rm

.
AFFIRMED.

Notably , Her

nandez does not attempt to arg ue that his RFC preve nts him from 1 perf orming work a s a telephone -direc tory distributor, but that he cannot pe rfor m the telephone- direc tory

distributor job because he is not fluent in Eng lish. However , the Dictionar y of Oc cupational Titles does not spec ify that the applica

nt must be able to perf

orm the telephone

direc tory distributor job in English. See DOT L isting No. 906.683-018, a vailable a t DI COT § 906.683-018. He rnande z thus failed to c arr y his heavy

burden of

establishing tha t he was una ble to perfor m this ki nd of work. See Moore, 405 F .3d at 1211.
Finally , beca

use substantial evidenc e supports the AL J ’s finding that Her nandez could perf orm his past releva

nt work, we need not r eac h the issue of whe ther the A L J err ed by misapply ing the Medica l-Voca tional Guidelines nor whe ther the A L J err ed by not considering Dr. Cater ’s opinion, as Her nandez ra ises that issue solely in the context of step five of the sequential e valuation. See 20 C.F .R. § 404.1520(a)( 4), 416.920(a )(4) (providing that if a claimant is found to be not disabled a t any particula r step in the seque ntial analy sis, the Commi ssioner will make its deter mination without m oving on to the ne x t step).

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