T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E N IN T H C IR C U IT DA VI D P AU L S ON , P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t, v. M I C H A E L J . A S T R U E , C om m i s s i one rof S o ci al S ecu ri ty, D ef

endant- A pp el l ee . N o. 08- 36049 D. C . No . 3 : 0 7 - c v - 0 0 2 5 7 - AC

ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt

f orthe D i s tr i c tof

O r e gon A nnaJ . B r ow n, D i s tr i c tJudge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d D e c e m be r11, 2009

P ort l a nd, O r e gon B efo re: F A R R IS , D . W . N E L S O N , an dB E R Z O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. D a vi d P aul s on appe a l s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s or de ra f f i rm i ng the C om m i ss i on er ’ s dec i si on denyi ng P aul son S oci al S ec uri ty D i sabi l i ty i nsurance b e n e f its . B e c au s e th e A d m in is tr a tiv e L aw Ju d g e ’s ( “A L J ” ) d e c is io n to d is c r e d it 

# FI LED DE C 30 2009 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSB e c au s e we a f f i rm th e AL J ’ s c h a l l e n g e dd e t e rm i n a t i o n s o n th e m e r i t s , we 1 d o n o tad d ress th e C o m m i ssi o n er’ s al t ern at i v e arg u m en tth atth e l aw o f th e case prec l ud es P aul son from chal l engi ng them here . 2 vari ou s s ou rc es of evi dence pres ent ed by P aul son and the A L J’ s det erm i nat i on that P aul son’ s c on di t i on do es no tm ee tor equal the re qu i re m ent s of L i st i ng 1. 04 B ar e b o th s u p p o rt e db ys u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e , w e a f f i rm.

“ [ W ] e r e vi e w de novo the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s or de ruphol di ng ade c i s i on of the C om m i s s i one rde ny i ng be ne f i t s t o a n appl i c a nt . T he C om m i s s i one r ’ s de c i s i on m us tbe a f

f i rm e d byus i f

s upport e d bys ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e , a nd i f the C o m m is s io n e rap p lie dth e c o rr e c t le g a l s ta n d a r d s .” B at son v. C om m ’rf

or So c. Se c . A dm i n. , 35 9 F . 3d 11 90 , 11 93 (9th C i r. 20 04 ) ( i nt ernal ci t at i on s om i tt ed). W e f i r s thol d tha tthe A L J ’ s de c i s i on t o di s c r e di tP aul s on’ s t e s t i m onya nd vari ou s m edi ca l op i ni on s i s s up po rt ed by subst ant i al evi dence. P aul son’ s doct ors consi st ent l y c on cl ud ed thatP aul son’ s r eport ed sy m pt om s e xcee ded tho se that coul d b e a ttri bu t abl e t o thei r obj ec t i ve m edi ca l fi nd i ng s, and P aul son’ s a ct i vi t i es co n trad i cth i s rep o rt edl i m i t at i o n s. T he A L Ja l s o pr ovi de d c l e a ra nd c onvi nc i ng r e a s ons f ordi s c r e di t i ng the op i ni on s of D rs . K ruger, A nd er son, Ja cobs, G re en, and G ri t zka. See Morga n v. 1 C om m ’ rof

Soc . Se c . A dm i n. , 1 6 9 F .3 d5 9 5 , 6 0 1 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) . T h e A L Jp r o p e r ly d is c r e d ite dD r . K ru g e r ’s o p in io n b e c au s e it w a s b a s e ds o le lyo n a n in te rv ie w w ith3

P au ls o n , w h o m th e A L Jp r o p e r lyf o u n dn o t c r e d ib le f

o rth e r e a s o n s g iv e n ab o v e . T h e A L Ja ls o p r o p e r lyd is c r e d ite dD r . A n d e r s o n ’s o p in io n b e c au s e it w a s s im ila r ly b a s e do n P au ls o n ’s r e p o rt o f h is s u b je c tiv e s y m p to m s . T h e A L Jp r o p e r ly d i s c r e d i t e dDr . J a c o b s ’ s o p i n i o n b e c au s e i twa s i n c o n s i s t e n twi th Dr . J a c o b s ’ s o wn pr i ortr e a tm e ntnot e s , i nc l udi ng thos e i ndi c a t i ng tha tP aul s on’ s s ubj e c t i ve sym p t o m s co u l dn o tb e ex p l ai n edb y o b j ect i v e m ed i cal ev i d en ce. T h e A L J, th e r e f o r e , a ls o p r o p e r lyd is c r e d ite dD r . G r e e n ’s o p in io n , w h ic h w a s b a s e dh e a v ily o n D r. Ja co b s’s o p in io n . F u rth er , th e A L J p ro p er ly d iscr ed it ed D r. G ritzk a’s opi ni on be c aus e G r i t z kaw a s ne i the ratr e a t i ng nora n e xa m i ni ng phy s i c i a n, a nd thus hi s opi ni on w a s s upe r s e de d bythe opi ni ons of P aul s on’ s tr e a t i ng a nd ex am in in g p h ys ician s. F in ally, th e A L J d idn o t errin re lyin g o n D r. C ar v alh o ’s op i ni on , w hi ch const i tut ed com pet entevi dence. T h e A L J a lso d idn o t errin fa il in g to co n sid erth e o p in io n o f P au lso n ’s c h ir o p r a c to r , M r . C h r is te n s e n , b e c au s e M r . C h r is te n s e n ’s o p in io n c o n tr a d ic ts a c c e p tab le m e d ic a l s o u r c e s , w h ic h m u s t b e g iv e n g r e a te rw e ig h t. See 2 0 C .F .R . § 40 4. 15 13 (d)( 1); s e e al

s o B unne l l

v . Sul l i v an , 912 F . 2d 1149, 1152 ( 9th C i r . 1990) ( “ [ A ] c hi r opr a c t or. . . i s notc ons i de r e d a n a c c e pt abl e m e di c a l s our c e . A l though a c la im a n t is f

r e e to o f f e rc h ir o p r a c tic e v id e n c e to h e lp th e S e c r e ta ryu n d e r s ta n dh is in ab ilityto w o rk , th e r e is n o r e q u ir e m e n t th a t th e S e c r e ta rya c c e p t o rs p e c if ic a lly4

r e f ut e s uc h e vi de nc e . ” ) ( i nt e rna l c i t a t i ons om i tt e d) ( va c a t e d a nd s upe r s e de d on re hear i ng on other groun ds). S ec on d, w e hol d thatthe A L J’ s det erm i nat i on thatP aul son’ s c on di t i on do es notm e e tore qua l the r e qui r e m e nt s of L i s t i ng 1. 04B , D i s or de r s of the S pi ne , 20 C. F. R. Pt . 4 0 4 , Sub p t . P, § 1 . 0 4 , i s s u p p o rt e db ys u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e . Th e ALJ n o tedth at P au lso n ’s m ed ical re co rd co n tain s v ar io u s m ed ical im ag es o f P au lso n ’s b a c ka n dr e la te dm e d ic a l f in d in g s , n o n e o f

w h ic h m e n tio n s p in a l a r a c h n o id itis . See 20 C . F . R . P t . 40 4, S ub pt . P , § 1 . 04 (s t at i ng thatar ac hn oi di t i s m aybe “ confi rm ed b y. . . ap p r o p r ia te m e d ic a llya c c e p tab le im a g in g ” ) . T h e A L Ja ls o d idn o t e rrin c onc l udi ng tha tP aul s on’ s c om bi ne d phy s i c a l a nd m e nt a l i m pa i rm e nt s di d not e qua l thi s l i s t i ng. AF F I RME D.