Source: http://pa.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20180320_0000389.WPA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2018-09-22 11:59:36
Document Index: 421566275

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 405', '§ 1381', '§ 401', '§ 404', '§ 404', '§ 404', '§ 404', '§ 404', '§ 404', '§ 404']

THOMAS M. JOHNSON, Plaintiff,
AND NOW, this 20th day of March, 2018, upon consideration of Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. No. 9), filed in the above-captioned matter on February 21, 2017, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that said Motion is DENIED.
AND, further, upon consideration of Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. No. 7), filed in the above-captioned matter on January 19, 2017, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that said Motion is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. Specifically, Plaintiff's Motion is granted to the extent that is seeks remand to the Commissioner of Social Security (“Commissioner”) for further evaluation as set forth below, and denied in all other respects. Accordingly, this matter is hereby remanded to the Commissioner for further evaluation under sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) in light of this Order.
On March 12, 2013, Plaintiff Thomas M. Johnson protectively filed a claim for supplemental security income under Title XVI of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1381 et seq. On March 28, 2013, Plaintiff protectively filed a claim for disability insurance benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 401 et seq. Specifically, Plaintiff claimed that he became disabled on February 1, 2012, due to osteoarthritis, hypertension, hypothyroid, and benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH). (R. 170).
After being denied initially on July 31, 2013, Plaintiff sought, and obtained, a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) on December 9, 2014. (R. 31-51). In a decision dated April 10, 2015, the ALJ denied Plaintiff's request for benefits. (R. 11-30). The Appeals Council declined to review the ALJ's decision on September 27, 2016. (R. 1-5). Plaintiff filed a timely appeal with this Court, and the parties have filed cross-motions for summary judgment.
The Social Security Administration has promulgated regulations incorporating a five-step sequential evaluation process for determining whether a claimant is under a disability as defined by the Act. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520, 416.920. In Step One, the Commissioner must determine whether the claimant is currently engaging in substantial gainful activity. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(a)(4)(i), 416.920(a)(4)(i). If so, the disability claim will be denied. See Bowen v. Yuckert, 482 U.S. 137, 140 (1987). If not, the second step of the process is to determine whether the claimant is suffering from a severe impairment. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(a)(4)(ii), 416.920(a)(4)(ii). “An impairment or combination of impairments is not severe if it does not significantly limit [the claimant's] physical or mental ability to do basic work activities.” 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1522, 416.922. If the claimant fails to show that his or her impairments are “severe, " he or she is ineligible for disability benefits. If the claimant does have a severe impairment, however, the Commissioner must proceed to Step Three and determine whether the claimant's impairment meets or equals the criteria for a listed impairment. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(a)(4)(iii), 416.920(a)(4)(iii). If a claimant meets a listing, a finding of disability is automatically directed. If the claimant does not meet a listing, the analysis proceeds to Steps Four and Five.
At this stage, the burden of production shifts to the Commissioner, who must demonstrate that the claimant is capable of performing other available work in the national economy in order to deny a claim of disability. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(a)(4)(v), 416.920(a)(4)(v). In making this determination, the ALJ should consider the claimant's RFC, age, education, and past work experience. See id. The ALJ must further analyze the cumulative effect of all the claimant's impairments in determining whether he or she is capable of performing work and is not disabled. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1523, 416.923.