Source: http://md.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20190828_0001193.DMD.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2020-08-04 23:29:08
Document Index: 412418201

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 405', '§ 404', '§ 404', 'art, 453', '§ 404', '§ 404']

FindACase™ | Katrina A. v. Saul
Katrina A. v. Saul
KATRINA A., Plaintiff,
ANDREW M. SAUL, Commissioner of Social Security, Defendant.[1]
Plaintiff Katrina A. seeks judicial review under 42 U.S.C. §§ 405(g) and 1383(c)(3) of a final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security (“Defendant” or the “Commissioner”) denying her applications for disability insurance benefits and Supplemental Security Income under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act. Before the Court are Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 15) and Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 20).[2] Plaintiff contends that the administrative record does not contain substantial evidence to support the Commissioner's decision that she is not disabled. No hearing is necessary. L.R. 105.6. For the reasons that follow, Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 20) is GRANTED, Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 15) is DENIED, and the Commissioner's final decision is AFFIRMED.
On November 9, 2016, Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) Raghav Kotval held a hearing in Baltimore, Maryland, where Plaintiff and a vocational expert (“VE”) testified. R. at 32-83. The ALJ thereafter found on January 30, 2017, that Plaintiff was not disabled from her alleged onset date of disability of May 2, 2014, through the date of the ALJ's decision. R. at 12-31. In so finding, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had the residual functional capacity (“RFC”)
to perform sedentary work as defined in 20 CFR 404.1567(a) and 416.967(a), meaning she can lift, carry, push, and pull ten pounds occasionally, less than ten pounds frequently, sit for six hours total per day, and stand or walk for two hours total per day. However, she can only sit for fifty minutes at a time before needing to stand and she can only stand or walk for twenty minutes at a time before needing to sit. Additionally, [Plaintiff] can only occasionally climb ramps and stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl but can never climb ladders and scaffolds. Furthermore, she can never be exposed to unprotected heights, moving mechanical parts, and extreme heat.
R. at 20-21. In light of this RFC and the VE's testimony, the ALJ found that Plaintiff could perform her past relevant work as a customer service representative and could perform other work, such as a telemarketer, order clerk, or dispatcher. R at 24-26. The ALJ thus found that Plaintiff was not disabled from May 2, 2014, through January 30, 2017. R. at 26.
After the Appeals Council denied Plaintiff's request for review, Plaintiff filed on April 13, 2018, a complaint in this Court seeking review of the Commissioner's decision. Upon the parties' consent, this case was transferred to a United States Magistrate Judge for final disposition and entry of judgment. The case then was reassigned to the undersigned. The parties have briefed the issues, and the matter is now fully submitted.
To determine whether a claimant has a disability within the meaning of the Social Security Act, the Commissioner follows a five-step sequential evaluation process outlined in the regulations. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520, 416.920; see Barnhart v. Thomas, 540 U.S. 20, 24-25, 124 S.Ct. 376, 379-80 (2003). “If at any step a finding of disability or nondisability can be made, the [Commissioner] will not review the claim further.” Thomas, 540 U.S. at 24, 124 S.Ct. at 379; see 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(a)(4), 416.920(a)(4). The claimant has the burden of production and proof at steps one through four. See Bowen v. Yuckert, 482 U.S. 137, 146 n.5, 107 S.Ct. 2287, 2294 n.5 (1987); Radford v. Colvin, 734 F.3d 288, 291 (4th Cir. 2013).
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fourth, if the claimant&#39;s impairment is severe, but it does not meet or equal one of the presumptively disabling impairments, then the Commissioner will assess the claimant&#39;s RFC to determine the claimant&#39;s &ldquo;ability to meet the physical, mental, sensory, and other requirements&rdquo; of the claimant&#39;s past relevant work. 20 C.F.R. &sect;&sect; 404.1520(a)(4)(iv), 404.1545(a)(4), 416.920(a)(4)(iv), 416.945(a)(4). RFC is a measurement of the most a claimant can do despite his or her limitations. Hines v. Barnhart, 453 F.3d 559, 562 (4th Cir. 2006); see 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1545(a)(1), 416.945(a)(1). The claimant is responsible for providing evidence the Commissioner will use to make a finding as to the claimant's RFC, but the Commissioner is responsible for developing the claimant's “complete medical history, including arranging for a consultative examination(s) if necessary, and making every reasonable effort to help [the claimant] get medical reports from [the claimant's] own medical sources.” 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1545(a)(3), ...