## United States Court of App eals

F O R T H E E I G H T H C I R C U I T

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No. 1 1- 15 24

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Arg ie Alfo rd Ph il li ps , *

* App el la nt

, *

* App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s

v. * Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r th e Weste rn

* Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s. Mi ch ael J. As tru e, Co m

m is si on er *
So ci al Secu rit y

Adm in is tra ti on , * [UNPUBLISHED]

* App el le e. *

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Su bm it te d: Aug us t 2 5, 2 01 1
Fi le d: Sep te m

be r 26 , 20 11

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Befo re MELLOY, BOW MAN, an d S HEPHERD, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

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PER CURI AM.

Arg ie Alfo rd Ph il li ps ap pe al s th e di st ric t co ur t’s or de r affi rm in g th e de ni al of

dis ab ili ty insur an ce be ne fit s. Ph il li ps al le ge d di sa bi li ty fro m art hr it is

, di ab et es , fi nge r

nu m bn es s an d ti ng li ng , an d ba ck pr ob le m s. Afte r a he ari ng , whe re Ph i l l i ps was

co un se le d, an a d mi n i s t rat iv e la w jud ge (ALJ) fo un d th at (1 ) Ph il li ps ’s da te la st

in su red was Decem

be r 31

, 20 10 ; (2 ) he ha d no t en ga ge d in su bs ta nt ia l ga in fu l act iv it y (SGA) si nc e Ja nu ary 20 04 ; (3 ) hi s well co nt ro ll e d di ab et es was no t a se ve re

im pa irment; (4 ) hi s se ve re im pa irments --ca rp al tu nn el s yn d r om e (CTS) an d ba ck

di so rd ers --d id no t m eet or eq ua l a li st in g, al on e or co m bi n e d ; (5 ) hi s su bjec ti veco m

pl ai nt s wer e n o t en ti rel y cred ib le ; (6 ) th e res id ua l fu nc ti on al cap aci ty (RFC )

op in io n of hi s tre at in g ph y si ci an , Dr. Jo el Ch eo ng , was no t en ti tl ed t o s i g ni fic an t weig ht ; an d (7 ) an d ba se d on a vo cat io na l ex pe rt’s (VE’ s) te st im on y , Ph il li ps ’s RFC

di d no t pr ecl ud e pe rfo rm in g hi s pa st rel ev an t wor k (PRW). The App eal s Co un ci l 1

de ni ed rev ie w, an d th e di st ric t cou rt affi rm ed

. Thi s co ur t rev ie ws de no vo a di st ric t

co ur t’s d eci si on up ho ld in g t he de ni al of be ne fit s, affi rm in g if th e ALJ’s de ci si on is

su pp or te d by s ub st an ti al ev id en ce on th e r e co rd as a who le

. See Teag ue v. Ast ru e,

63 8 F .3d 61 1, 6 14 (8t h C ir. 2 01 1)

.

W e co nc lu de th at th e ALJ pr op erl y di sc ou nt ed Dr. Ch eo ng ’s op in io n. The ALJ

ci te d 20 C.F.R. § 40 4.1 52 7, st at in g he ha d co ns id ered th e op in io n ev id en ce acco rd in g

to reg ul at or y req ui rem en ts

, an d he th or ou gh ly su m m ari zed th e m ed ic al ev id en ce an d

Dr. Ch eo ng ’s op in io n. Dr. Ch eo ng ex am in ed Ph il li ps on ly th ree ti m es , an d hi s

op in io n is inc onsi sten t wit h hi s ex am in at io n fin di ng s; wit h th e co ns erv at iv e tre at m en t

pr es cri be d fo r CTS, whi ch te st res ul ts sh owe d was m il d to m od erat e; wit h th e la ck of

te st in g or ex am in at io n fin di ng s to c o n f i r m de ge ne rat iv e di sc or joi nt di se as e or

art hr it is ; wit h a c o n su lt in g ph y si ci an ’s m os tl y no rm al ex am in at io n fin di ng s an d

as se ss m en t of on ly a sl ig ht red uc ti on in lu m ba r ran ge of m ot io n; an d wit h Ph il li ps ’s

st at em en ts to hi s he al th care pr ov id ers ab ou t th e st at us of hi s he al th

. See Mar ti se v.

Ast ru e, 64 1 F.3 d at 90 9, 92 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 11 ) (tr eat in g ph y si ci an ’s op in io n is pr op erl y
di sc ou nt ed whe n it is in co ns is te nt wit h hi s tre at m en t no te s or wit h m ed ic al ev id en ce

as w h o le ); Teag ue , 63 8 F.3 d at 61 5 (tr eat in g ph y si ci an ’s op in io n sh ou ld be well

su pp or te d by m ed ic al ly acce pt ab le di ag no st ic te ch ni qu es ). Fu rth er, ot h e r th an Dr.

Ch eo ng ’s op in io n, we fin d no th in g in th e reco rd su pp or ti ng ot he r li m it at io ns Ph il li ps

co nt en ds th e ALJ sh ou ld ha ve in cl ud ed in hi s RFC de te rm in at io n, whi ch we co nc lu de

is su pp or te d by su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce. See Jo ne s v. Ast ru e, 61 9 F.3 d 96 3, 97 1 (8 th Ci r.

Ph il li ps al so al le ge d di sa bi li ty fro m hypert en si on an d sh or t-t erm m em or y 1

pr ob le m s, bu t on ap pe al he do es no t m en ti on m em or y pr ob le ms or ch al le ng e th e ALJ’s fin di ng th at hi s hypert en si on was no t a se ve re im pa irment as it was co nt ro ll ed by m ed ic at io n.

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-20 10 ) (ALJ is res p o n s ib le fo r de te rm in in g RFC ba se d on al l rel ev an t ev id en ce

i n c l u d in g m ed ic al reco rd s, ob se rv at io ns of tre at in g ph y si ci an s an d ot he rs , an d

cl ai m an t’s de sc rip ti on of hi s li m it at io ns ; so m e m ed ic al ev id en ce in reco r d m us t

su pp or t ALJ ’s RFC d et erm in at io n)

. 2

W e fin d m eri t, ho wev er, to Ph il lip s’ s ch al le nge s to the ALJ’s fin di ng s on PRW.

The ALJ fo un d th at Ph il li ps ’s RFC di d no t pr ecl ud e pe rfo rm in g hi s PRW as a fo rk li ft

op erat or , “ ta xi (li m o) ” dr iv er, fir e-t ru ck dr iv er, an d sc ho ol -b us dr iv er; an d th at

, as

no te d, Ph il li ps ha d no t en ga ge d in SGA si nc e Ja nu ary 20 04

. The ALJ po in te d to th e

VE’ s cl as si fic a t i o n of th es e job s as m ed iu m an d se m i-s ki ll ed

, an d th e VE us ed th e
Dict io na ry of Occu pa ti on al Tit le s (DOT) li st in g fo r fo rk -li ft op erat or to cl as si fy

Ph il li ps ’s pa st job s as a ro ut er. The rel ev an t reco rd s in cl ud in g a wor k- hi st or y rep or t

th at Ph il li ps co m

pl et ed in May 200 7 a nd hi s No ve m be r 20 08 he ari ng tes ti m on y

.

W e ag ree wit h Ph il li ps th at

, be cau se th e ALJ fo un d he ha d no t en ga ge d in SGA

si nc e Ja nu ary 20 04 , th e ALJ erred by fin di ng th at a job dr iv in g a li m ou si ne in 20 06

qu al ifi ed as PRW. See Mue ll er v. Ast ru e, 56 1 F .3d 83 7, 84 1 (8t h Cir. 20 09 ) (PRW

is wor k th at cl ai m an t pe rfo rm ed wit hi n la st fif te en y ears , th at am ou nt ed to SGA, an d

th at la st ed lo ng en ou gh fo r cl ai m an t to le a r n t o do it ). A job m ay qu al ify as SGA

ev en if it is pa rt- ti m e an d pr of it is no t real iz ed

, se e 2 0 C

. F.R. § 40 4.1 57 2, bu t th e

r e c or d do es no t su pp or t a fin di ng th at Ph il li ps ’s jo b as a vo lu nt eer fir e-t ru ck dr iv er

qu al ifi ed as SGA. Ph il li ps te st ifi ed th at he ha d a he lp er an d mer e l y d r ov e to th e

sc en e--a t tim es in a la rg e pi ck -u p tru ck

, rat he r th an a ta nk er tru ck --an d he ob se rv ed

a t a di st an ce fo r sa fet y is su es un ti l he ne ed ed to ret ur n to th e tru ck an d si t. See 2 0

C. F .R. §§ 40 4.1 57 2( a), 40 4.1 57 3( c) (s ub st an ti al wor k act iv it y in vo lv es si gn ifi can t ph y si cal or m en ta l act iv it ie s; if wor k is do ne un de r sp eci al co nd it io ns , it m ay no t

An ALJ m

us t firs t eval ua te a cl ai m an t’s cred ib il it y be fo re de te rm in in g RFC, 2

se e Tell ez v. Barn ha rt, 40 3 F.3 d 95 3, 95 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 05 ), bu t on ap pe al Ph il li ps do es

no t ch al le ng e th e ALJ’s cred ib il it y de te rm in at io n, se e Hack er v. Barn ha rt, 45 9 F.3 d
93 4, 9 37 n.2 (8t h C ir. 2 00 6) (ab an do nm en t o f is su e o n a pp eal ).

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-a mo u n t t o S GA). Ph il li ps al so te st ifi ed he ha d be en a vo lu nt eer fo r th e fir e

de pa rtment si nc e 20 01

, bu t it is un cl ear ho w lo ng he ha d be en as si gn ed a he lp er an d

pe rm it te d t o s it in th e tr uc k a s n eed ed

.

As to th e two ro ut er job s Ph il li ps id en ti fie d on th e wor k- hi st or y fo rm , hi s

te st im on y an d wri tt en st at em en ts in di cat e th at th e li fti ng an d c arrying req ui rem en ts

fo r m ed iu m wor k were ex ceed ed

, an d th at op erat in g a fo rk li ft was m erel y on e o f

se ve ral job du ti es

. It th us ap pe ars th e VE im pr op erl y cl as si fie d th is wor k as m ed iu m
ba se d on th e DOT li st in g fo r a fo rk li ft op erat or

. See B r o w n v. Barn ha rt, 39 0 F.3 d

53 5, 53 9 (8 th Ci r. 20 04 ) (u nd er fo ur th st ep in se qu en ti al ev al ua ti on pr oc es s, ALJ

m us t co m pa re cl ai m an t’s RFC wit h ph y si cal an d m en ta l de m an ds of PRW). Fi na ll y , th ere was li tt le ev id en ce ab ou t Ph il li ps ’s job as a rel ie f sc ho ol -b us dr iv er, ot he r th an

hi s te st im on y th at he dr ov e on ly two ho ur s a da y an d hi s m on th ly earn in gs fel l be lo w

ap pl ic ab le gu i d e l in es

. See 20 C.F.R. § 40 4.1 57 4( b) (2 ). Alt ho ug h earn in gs do no t

co nc lu si ve ly sh ow th at an em pl oyee ha s n o t e n g a ge d in SGA, th e reco rd do es no t

refl e c t t h a t th e lo w earn in gs were th e res ul t of Ph il li ps ’s ch oi ce to dr iv e on ly pa rtti m e. See Ree de r v. Apf

el

, 21 4 F.3 d 98 4, 98 9 (8 th Ci r. 20 00 ). W e th us co nc lu de th at

th e ALJ sh ou ld ha ve fu rth er de ve lo pe d th e reco rd on th e du ti es an d rel at ed fu nc ti on al

de m an ds fo r th e job s he id en ti fie d as PRW, se e Kirb y v. Su ll iv an , 92 3 F.2 d 13 23

, 1 3 2 7 (8 th Ci r. 19 91 ) (ALJ ha s du ty to de ve lo p reco rd fu ll y so he can co m pa r e
cl ai m an t’s RFC to act ua l fu nc ti on al de m an ds of pa st em pl oym en t); an d w e r e v e rs e

an d re m an d fo r fu rth er p ro ceed in gs co ns is te nt wit h t hi s o pi ni on

.

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