Source: http://in.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20190819_0001106.NIN.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2020-01-18 03:48:30
Document Index: 770688928

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 405', '§ 404', '§ 404', 'art, 362', '§ 404', '§ 404', '§ 404']

FindACase™ | Heazeltine v. Saul
Heazeltine v. Saul
ANDREW HEAZELTINE, Plaintiff,
Plaintiff Andrew Heazeltine seeks review of the final decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (Commissioner) denying his application for disability insurance benefits. Plaintiff alleges that he has been disabled since August 2013 due to chronic back pain.
If a claimant's application is denied initially and on reconsideration, he may request a hearing before an ALJ. See 42 U.S.C. § 405(b)(1). An ALJ conducts a five-step inquiry in deciding whether to grant or deny benefits: (1) whether the claimant is currently employed, (2) whether the claimant has a severe impairment, (3) whether the claimant's impairment is one that the Commissioner considers conclusively disabling, (4) if the claimant does not have a conclusively disabling impairment, whether he has the residual functional capacity to perform his past relevant work, and (5) whether the claimant is capable of performing any work in the national economy. See 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520; Zurawski v. Halter, 245 F.3d 881, 885 (7th Cir. 2001).
Here, at step one, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had not engaged in substantial gainful activity since August 30, 2013, the alleged onset date. At step two, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had the severe impairment of lumbar degenerative disc disease. At step three, the ALJ found that Plaintiff “does not have an impairment or combination of impairments that meets or medically equals the severity of one of the listed impairments.” (R. 21.) At step four, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had the residual functional capacity (“RFC”) to perform medium work as defined in 20 C.F.R. § 404.1567(c), except that he had additional postural limitations. He could only occasionally balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, or climb. Based on the above RFC, the ALJ found that Plaintiff was unable to perform his past relevant work as a heavy equipment operator. At step five, the ALJ found that there were jobs that existed in significant numbers in the national economy that Plaintiff could perform and, thus, he was not disabled.
C. State Agency Medical Experts
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The residual functional capacity (RFC) measures what work-related activities a claimant can perform despite his limitations. Young v. Barnhart, 362 F.3d 995, 1000 (7th Cir. 2004). It is the most the claimant can still do. Craft v. Astrue, 539 F.3d 668, 675-76 (7th Cir. 2008) (citing 20 C.F.R. § 404.1545(a)(1)). A claimant's RFC must be based upon the medical evidence in the record and other evidence, such as testimony by the claimant or his friends and family. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1545(a)(3). In making a determination, the ALJ must decide which treating and examining doctors' opinions should receive weight, and explain the reasons for that finding. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527. Additionally, the ALJ's RFC assessment must contain a narrative discussion describing how the evidence supports the ALJ's conclusions and ...