Source: https://judgelondonsteverson.me/2012/03/21/if-your-treating-physician-says-you-are-disabled-the-social-security-judge-must-find-you-disabled/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 09:09:41+00:00

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If Your Treating Physician Says You Are Disabled, The Social Security Judge MUST Find You Disabled.
STACEY AYN KOSOWSKI v. MICHAEL J. ASTRUE, Commissioner of Social Security.
Stacey Ayn Kosowski, Plaintiff, represented by L. Jack Gibney, Jr., Law Office of L. Jack Gibney.
JAMES R. KLINDT, Magistrate Judge.
Stacey Ayn Kosowksi (“Plaintiff”) is appealing the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration’s final decision denying her claims for disability insurance benefits (“DIB“) and supplemental security income (“SSI“). Her alleged inability to work stems from back injuries, nerve damage, chronic pain, and depression. Plaintiff filed an application for DIB. Plaintiff alleges a disability onset date of October 1, 2005.
Plaintiff’s claims were denied initially, and were denied upon reconsideration, An Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) held a hearing on November 21, 2008 regarding Plaintiff’s claims. After the hearing, the ALJ issued a Decision dated March 30, 2009. Plaintiff requested a review of the ALJ’s Decision, and on November 17, 2010, the Appeals Council denied Plaintiff’s request for review, making the ALJ’s written Decision the final decision of the Commissioner.
On January 7, 2011, Plaintiff commenced this action under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) and § 1383(c)(3), by timely filing the Complaint (Doc. No. 1) seeking review of the Commissioner’s final decision. The available administrative remedies have been exhausted, and the case is properly before the Court.
Plaintiff raises one issue on appeal: whether the ALJ properly considered and gave appropriate weight to the opinion of Plaintiff’s treating physician, Tai Q. Nguyen, M.D.
After reviewing the record and the parties’ respective memoranda, the undersigned finds the final decision of the Commissioner is due to be reversed and remanded for the reasons explained herein.
When determining whether an individual is disabled, an ALJ must follow the five-step sequential inquiry set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations (“Regulations”), determining as appropriate whether the individual: 1) is currently employed; 2) has a severe impairment; 3) has an impairment that meets or medically equals one listed in the Regulations; 4) can perform past relevant work; and 5) retains the ability to perform any work in the national economy.
The claimant bears the burden of persuasion through step four and, at step five, the burden shifts to the Commissioner.
[Plaintiff can] perform sedentary work as defined in 20 CFR 404.1567(a) and 416.967(a) except [Plaintiff] cannot engage in activities that involve climbing ladders, ropes, or scaffolds. [Plaintiff] can occasionally climb ramps or stairs, and occasionally engage in balancing, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and stooping. [Plaintiff] must avoid exposure to dangerous work hazards. [Plaintiff] is limited to routine, repetitive work tasks.
At step four, the ALJ ascertained Plaintiff “is unable to perform any past relevant work.” At step five, after “[c]onsidering [Plaintiff’s] age, education, work experience, and [RFC,]” the ALJ found “there are jobs that exist in significant numbers in the national economy that [Plaintiff] can perform.” The ALJ concluded Plaintiff was not under a disability from October 1, 2005 through the date of the Decision.
Plaintiff raises one issue before this Court. Plaintiff alleges the ALJ did not properly consider and give appropriate weight to the opinion of Plaintiff’s treating physician, Dr. Nguyen. Pl.’s Mem. at 4-7. Plaintiff contends the ALJ should have afforded Dr. Nguyen’s opinion great weight because “Dr. Nguyen is a neurosurgeon who has treated and examined [P]laintiff and has performed a prior surgery on [P]laintiff and is in the best position to evaluate [P]laintiff’s condition.” Id. at 5. Furthermore, Plaintiff asserts that “[t]here is no other treating physician who has actually examined Plaintiff and no doctor who has a longer relationship with her.” Id. at 6.
On October 25, 2006, Plaintiff sought treatment from Dr. Nguyen. Tr. at 288. Dr. Nguyen recorded Plaintiff’s chief complaints as follows: “bilateral upper gluteal pain, bilateral gluteal pain, and right lower extremity pain. . . . She also complain[ed] of numbness in the last 3 toes of her right foot.” Tr. at 288. Dr. Nguyen opined that Plaintiff had a possible recurrent disk herniation of L4-5 on her right side. Tr. at 288. Based on the severity of Plaintiff’s complaints, Dr. Nguyen “recommended an exploration and possible surgical decompression of the nerve root.” Tr. at 288. Plaintiff was scheduled for the operation. Tr. at 288.
On November 9, 2006, Dr. Nguyen performed a hemilaminotomy and diskectomy L4-5 on Plaintiff’s right side. Tr. at 297. After this procedure, Plaintiff’s “disks were satisfactorily excised,” “the nerve was found to be free from compression,” and “hemostasis was obtained.” Tr. at 297. Two days following this surgery, Plaintiff’s pain level was controlled, she was able to ambulate to the bathroom without difficulty, and she was discharged from the hospital.6 Tr. at 299-300.
On February 28, 2007, Dr. Nguyen saw Plaintiff for a follow-up appointment related to Plaintiff’s chronic back pain and urinary incontinence. Tr. at 290-91. Dr. Nguyen noted that Plaintiff still continued to complain of pain in her right leg. Dr. Nguyen’s assessment of Plaintiff’s condition was that she “has a low back syndrome, and she is not considered to be a surgical candidate.” Dr. Nguyen recommended Plaintiff seek treatment from a pain management clinic.
In October 2008, Dr. Nguyen noted that he had evaluated Plaintiff on March 12, 2008, and he made the following findings. Dr. Nguyen opined Plaintiff could lift and/or carry less than ten pounds frequently, she could occasionally stand and/or walk for less than two hours in an eight-hour workday, and she could sit for less than six hours in an eight-hour workday. Dr. Nguyen determined that Plaintiff had physical limitations that prevented her from pushing and/or pulling with her arms and legs. Plaintiff could never climb, balance, kneel, crouch, or stoop. Tr. at 442. Lastly, Plaintiff was limited in reaching in all directions. Tr. at 443. Dr. Nguyen concluded that Plaintiff had been suffering from these limitations since July 1995. Tr. at 445.
The Regulations instruct ALJs how to weigh the medical opinions of treating physicians properly. See 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d). Because treating physicians “are likely to be the medical professionals most able to provide a detailed, longitudinal picture of [a claimant’s] medical impairment(s),” a treating physician’s medical opinion is to be afforded controlling weight if it is “well-supported by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques and is not inconsistent with the other substantial evidence” in the record. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d)(2). When a treating physician’s medical opinion is not due controlling weight, the ALJ must determine the appropriate weight it should be given by considering factors such as the length of treatment, the frequency of examination, the nature and extent of the treatment relationship, as well as the supportability of the opinion, its consistency with the other evidence, and the specialization of the physician. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d).
Here, the ALJ reviewed Plaintiff’s medical history as contained in the record. The ALJ assigned “little weight” to Dr. Nguyen’s opinion because “a less than sedentary [RFC] is too restrictive in light of the medical evidence.” The ALJ did not articulate any other reasoning or explanation as to why “little weight” was afforded to Dr. Nguyen’s opinion.
On its face, the reason given by the ALJ for affording Dr. Nguyen’s opinion little weight may be considered a “good cause” reason; however, the ALJ did not explain her reasoning with any specificity or provide any evidentiary support for her reason.. The ALJ’s lack of explanation to support the decision to give little weight to Dr. Nguyen’s opinion impedes judicial review and therefore warrants reversal.
Defendant contends that the “ALJ properly considered an opinion from Plaintiff’s treating physician” and then Defendant goes on to review the medical evidence of record and provide reasons why the ALJ’s Decision was proper. Although Defendant’s contentions are potentially convincing, if accepted as true, the Court “cannot uphold a decision by an administrative agency . . . if, while there is enough evidence in the record to support the decision, the reasons given by the trier of fact do not build an accurate and logical bridge between the evidence and the result, or the reasons are not included in the decision. Given these standards, this Court cannot substitute the contentions in Defendant’s Memorandum for the actual findings, or lack thereof, made by the ALJ.
(a) Reevaluate Dr. Nguyen’s opinion and state with particularity the weight afforded to Dr. Nguyen’s opinion; if the opinion is discounted, adequate reasons showing good cause for discounting it shall be provided and shall be supported by substantial evidence.
(b) Take such other action as may be necessary to resolve these claims properly.
3. If benefits are awarded on remand, Plaintiff’s counsel shall have thirty (30) days from receiving notice of the amount of past due benefits to seek the Court’s approval of attorney’s fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 406(b). See Bergen v. Comm’r Soc. Sec., 454 F.3d 1273 (11th Cir. 2006).

References: v. 
 § 405
 § 1383
 § 404
 § 404
 § 404
 § 406
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