Opinion ID: 535303
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence from Treating Physicians

Text: 6 Our standard of review of the ALJ's decision is whether substantial evidence on the record as a whole supports the decision. Chapman v. Bowen, 810 F.2d 151, 152 (8th Cir.1986). Substantial evidence means such relevant evidence as a reasonable person might accept as adequate to support a conclusion. Richardson v. Perales, 402 U.S. 389, 401, 91 S.Ct. 1420, 1427, 28 L.Ed.2d 842 (1971). 7 Letters in the record from Roland C. Reynolds, M.D., one of Prince's treating physicians, state that she suffers from chronic bronchitis, arteriosclerotic heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic sinusitis, and hiatal hernia. Dr. Reynolds expressed the opinion that Prince's illnesses precluded her from performing gainful employment. Prince testified that she sees Dr. Reynolds at least once a month. The record from Prince's first administrative hearing also contains sixteen pages of treatment records from Jerry Frankum, Jr., M.D., who frequently treated Prince for a variety of ailments, including bronchitis, emphysema, hiatal hernia, arteriosclerotic heart disease, degenerative arthritis, arthritis pain, and headaches, between 1969 and 1983. 8 Although the ALJ referred to Dr. Reynolds' letters, he did not discuss Reynolds' opinion that Prince was disabled. Consequently, he gave no reason for rejecting it. A treating physician's opinion should be accorded substantial weight. See Douglas v. Bowen, 836 F.2d 392, 395 (8th Cir.1987); Piercy v. Bowen, 835 F.2d 190, 191-92 (8th Cir.1987); see also Kennedy v. Heckler, 602 F.Supp. 709, 712 (W.D.N.C.1985) (treating physician's opinion may be disregarded only if persuasive contradictory evidence exists). An ALJ's failure to consider or discuss a treating physician's opinion that a claimant is disabled constitutes error where, as here, the record contains no contradictory medical opinion.