Source: http://openjurist.org/559/f2d/279/knott-v-a-califano
Timestamp: 2017-01-22 20:27:36
Document Index: 5046859

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 423', '§ 421', '§ 416', '§ 423', '§ 416', '§ 423']

559 F2d 279 Knott v. A Califano | OpenJurist
559 F. 2d 279 - Knott v. A Califano HomeFederal Reporter, Second Series 559 F.2d.
559 F2d 279 Knott v. A Califano 559 F.2d 279
Wade KNOTT, Plaintiff-Appellant,v.Joseph A. CALIFANO, Jr., Secretary of Health, Education andWelfare, Defendant-Appellee.
No. 77-1854
On August 13, 1973, Knott applied for Social Security disability insurance benefits as provided for in Sections 223(a) and (c) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 423(a) and (c), alleging that he became unable to work on July 4, 1972, the day after his accident. Pursuant to Section 221 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. § 421, the Louisiana Division of Vocational Rehabilitation found no disability. The Bureau of Disability Insurance of the Social Security Administration then considered the application, denied it, reconsidered it, and denied it again. A hearing was held on September 20, 1974, and an administrative law judge, after considering the case de novo, also found no disability within the meaning of Sections 216(i)(1)(A) and 223(d)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 416(i)(1)(A) and 423(d)(1)(A). On appeal the Appeals Council remanded the case to the administrative law judge because of insufficient evidence to support the decision. On July 2, 1975, a second hearing was held and the administrative law judge once again found no disability. The Appeals Council affirmed on January 26, 1976, and the administrative law judge's decision became the final decision of the Secretary. Knott then sought review in the district court, which granted defendant's motion for summary judgment.
See Richardson v. Perales, 402 U.S. 389, 401, 91 S.Ct. 1420, 1427, 28 L.Ed.2d 842 (1971); Hemphill v. Weinberger, 5 Cir., 1973, 483 F.2d 1137, 1139. In short, our role is limited. We cannot reweigh the evidence or substitute our judgment for that of the Secretary. Goodman v. Richardson, 5 Cir., 1971, 448 F.2d 388, 389. See Richardson v. Richardson, 5 Cir., 1970, 437 F.2d 109; Cooper v. Finch, 5 Cir., 1970, 433 F.2d 315, 316-17; Brown v. Finch, 5 Cir., 1970, 429 F.2d 80, 82; Rome v. Finch, 5 Cir., 1969, 409 F.2d 1329, 1330, cert. denied, 396 U.S. 943, 90 S.Ct. 379, 24 L.Ed.2d 244 (1969). Applying this standard to the instant case, we find that substantial evidence supports the Secretary's decision.
42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(1)(A). See id. § 416(i)(1)(A). Moreover,
Once a claimant demonstrates that he is unable to perform his previous work, the burden shifts to the Secretary to show that the claimant is capable of engaging in other substantial gainful activity. DeMandre v. Weinberger, E.D.La., 1976, 414 F.Supp. 784, 787, citing Stark v. Weinberger, 7 Cir., 1974, 497 F.2d 1092, DePaepe v. Richardson, 5 Cir., 1972, 464 F.2d 92, Trice v. Weinberger, N.D.Ga., 1975, 392 F.Supp. 1193. The Secretary has successfully sustained this burden. The evidence shows that Knott is right-handed. He possesses a healthy right hand with an unusually strong grip. With the exception of his injured left hand, his physical, mental, and emotional health is good. Knott is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs approximately 175 pounds. He testified that he works in his yard, tends a small garden, assists his son in cutting the grass, and drives an automobile. He described his appetite as "good" and his sleep as "not too bad." Record at 69.
In response to this evidence, Knott argues that the Secretary has the burden of showing that these types of employment are actually available to him in the vicinity of his residence in Arnaudville. The Social Security Act provides otherwise. Section 223(d)(2)(A) of the Act, 42 U.S.C. § 423(d)(2)(A), states that in order to be considered disabled, one must be unable to do his previous work and to "engage in any other kind of substantial gainful work which exists in the national economy, regardless of whether such work exists in the immediate area in which he lives, or whether a specific job vacancy exists for him, or whether he would be hired if he applied for work." The section also provides that "work which exists in the national economy" means "work which exists in significant numbers either in the region where such individual lives or in several regions of the country." In construing this section of the Act, we have held that the relevant job area is not confined to the claimant's locality. Brown v. Finch, 5 Cir., 1970, 429 F.2d 80, 82, citing Martin v. Finch, 5 Cir., 1969, 415 F.2d 793, 794. See, e. g., King v. Finch, 5 Cir., 1970, 428 F.2d 709, 711; Lafont v. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, E.D.La., 1973, 363 F.Supp. 443, 444-45. See also, e. g., Miller v. Finch, 8 Cir., 1970, 430 F.2d 321, 324; Osborne v. Cohen, 6 Cir., 1969, 409 F.2d 37, 39; Wright v. Gardner, 7 Cir., 1968, 403 F.2d 646, 647; Davis v. Gardner, 6 Cir., 1968, 395 F.2d 681, 682. Knott's argument is therefore without merit.