Source: https://www.davenportdisabilitylawyers.com/2019/09/25/alcohol-or-drug-addiction-and-social-security-disability/
Timestamp: 2020-08-09 10:38:08
Document Index: 109292662

Matched Legal Cases: ['art, 338', '§ 404', '§ 423', 'art, 348', '§ 404', '§ 404', '§ 416', 'art, 399', '§ 416', '§ 404']

Alcohol or Drug Addiction and Social Security Disability | Bowman, DePree & Murphy
In Williams v. Barnhart, 338 F. Supp.2d 849 (M.D. Tenn. 2004), the court held that the ALJ failed to follow the regulatory procedure for evaluation of drug addiction, established in 20 C.F.R. § 404.1535. Id. at 862. The court explained that “[t]o find that drug addiction is a contributing factor material to the determination of disability without first finding the claimant disabled, as the ALJ did here, is to put the cart before the horse.” Id. at 862-63,citing Drapeau v. Massanari, 255 F.3d 1211, 1214-15 (10th Cir. 2001) (holding that “the implementing regulations make clear that a finding of disability is a condition precedent to an application of § 423(d)(2)(C)” and the “Commissioner must first make a determination that the claimant is disabled” before making a determination whether the claimant would still be found disabled if he or she stopped abusing drugs”); Brueggemann v. Barnhart, 348 F.3d 689, 693-95 (8th Cir. 2003) (noting that 20 C.F.R. § 404.1535 “plainly requires the existence of a ‘current disability determination’ before the substance use disorders are even considered”). The court further observed that the failure of the ALJ to cite 20 C.F.R. § 404.1535 or § 416.935 “reflect his misunderstanding of the procedure to be followed in analyzing the impact of plaintiff’s drug addiction.” Id.at 863. Finally, the court rejected the Commissioner’s argument that the ALJ’s failure to cite to the regulations was “inadvertent and, at worst, a harmless error . . . .” Id. at 863.
The Tenth Circuit held in Grogan v. Barnhart, 399 F.3d 1257, 1266 (10th Cir. 2005) that the ALJ failed to follow the prescribed method for considering whether the claimant’s drug use could be considered a contributing factor to his disability in finding that the claimants ability to function prior to his date last insured was due to his illegal drug use. Id.at 1266. The court explained that “[t]o dismiss an application on the basis that Grogan’s drug addiction was a contributing factor material to the determination his disability, the ALJ had to find that, if Grogan had stopped using drugs or alcohol, he would not have been disabled.”Id., citing 20 C.F.R. § 416.935. However, the claimant’s testimony indicated that he remained mentally ill even after he reduced the number of street drugs he was taking around the relevant time period and that his depression had always been separate from the effects of drugs or alcohol.Id.
The court also rejected the claimant’s assertion that a SSA emergency teletype required the ALJ to call a medical or psychological consultant or disability examiner to testify regarding the materiality issue, finding that the teletype does not impose a “new requirement upon the ALJ to seek a consultant’s opinion when making a materiality determination.” Id., citingEmergency Teletype, Office of Disability, Social Security Administration, “Questions and Answers Concerning DAA from July 2, 1996 Teleconference — Medical Adjudicators —ACTION,” August 30, 1996. The regulations only require a consultative examination “when necessary information is not in the record and cannot be obtained from the claimant’s treating medical sources or other medical sources.” Id., citing 20 C.F.R. § 404.1519a(b). As sufficient evidence supported finding that the claimant’s alcoholism was a contributing factor material to the disability determination, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed. Id.
2019-10-03T07:41:42+05:00September 25th, 2019|Categories: Law Library, Legal issues|