Opinion ID: 2831704
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Hearing Testimony and Evidence of Wages

Text: At the June 2012 hearing before the ALJ, Perez testified she had completed high school in Cuba and came to the United States from Cuba in 1980. Perez testified, at one time, she was able to read, write, speak, and understand English, but she had difficulties doing so after her stroke. Perez had completed training as a nursing assistant. Although she had training in the travelling and tourism business, she had not been employed that area. Regarding work experience, Perez stated she previously had been self-employed as a caretaker for one person. That job entailed providing breakfast, bathing the person, lifting her, and helping in other ways as needed. Perez also discussed a prior job as an event worker and explained she had worked different events and performed various tasks, including giving out tickets, helping with different chores, and serving beverages. She did not lift any weight in that job. Perez had not worked since June 24, 2010, the date on which she filed her SSI application. Since suffering a stroke in November 2009, Perez testified her right leg and right arm remained somewhat disabled. She generally could walk about a block before having to stop and sit down. Thereafter, she could not continue, because of 10 Case: 14-14671 Date Filed: 08/27/2015 Page: 11 of 32 pain in her right leg. Perez stated she could stand in a fixed position for 10 to 15 minutes, after which she experienced pain around her waist and downward toward her leg on her right side. When Perez tried to squat or kneel, her body leaned to one side. Consequently, she could not lift anything from the ground. Perez further testified she was right-handed but did not have strength in her right arm. She could lift a box of tissues and pick up coins but could not lift a gallon of milk. She previously had cared for her grandson and son, who were about the same age, but she no longer was able to do that, because she could not lift them. Perez testified she began seeing a psychiatrist, because she lacked the will to do anything, and she felt worthless; since her stroke, her entire life had changed. Perez’s children left her medications in a container, indicating when she needed to take them, and Perez took her medications before her children left for work and again in the evening. She stated she periodically watched television for a short while, but could not concentrate. Perez was unable to read books and magazines, because she could not understand what she read. She had no social life and stayed at home with her grandchildren. Perez’s daughters performed the household chores, such as cleaning, and did not allow her to cook because she frequently forgot things. Perez explained she could drive only short distances, because she suffered from panic attacks and never had driven on the expressway. 11 Case: 14-14671 Date Filed: 08/27/2015 Page: 12 of 32 Using the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (“DOT”), the vocational expert (“VE”), identified Perez’s caretaker job as a personal-care aide, which was a semiskilled, medium-duty job. The VE could not define Perez’s event-worker job under the DOT; based on her testimony, he explained the job was light and unskilled. The ALJ then asked the VE whether a person could perform Perez’s past work if she (1) had training in travel and tourism and as a nurse’s aide; (2) had a twelfth-grade level of education; (3) could speak Spanish and English but had problems with English; (4) was 47 years old 1; (5) could perform medium work; and (6) had some psychological problems that might limit her to be off task not more than 5 percent of the time. The VE responded such a person could perform both of Perez’s past jobs. The ALJ asked the VE whether that person could perform Perez’s past work, if she was limited to light work. The VE responded such a person could perform Perez’s event-worker job. The ALJ then asked what work such a person could do if she was limited to performing only simple, routine, repetitive tasks and could perform medium work. The VE responded such a person could perform the eventworker job and also could (1) work as a hand packer, which was an unskilled job, requiring medium work with 89,000 positions nationally and 4,200 positions in Florida; (2) perform light housecleaning, which was light, unskilled work with 1 Based on Perez’s SSI application, she was 49 at the time of the hearing. 12 Case: 14-14671 Date Filed: 08/27/2015 Page: 13 of 32 237,000 jobs nationally and 2,500 in Florida; and (3) work as a small-parts assembler, which was light, unskilled work with 235,000 jobs nationally and 1,500 in Florida. Perez’s counsel asked the VE whether a claimant could perform Perez’s past relevant work, if she had the same vocational background as Perez and the limitations identified in Dr. Hasbun or Dr. Mendez-Villamil’s assessments. The VE stated such a claimant with either set of limitations would be unable to perform Perez’s past relevant work or any other jobs that exist in significant numbers in the national economy. As an event worker, Perez earned $421.75 in 2004, and $391.19 in 2005. The record contains no evidence of event-worker earnings from any other years.