United States District Court, D. Rhode Island
ORDER
WILLIAM E. SMITH CHIEF JUDGE.
In a
Report and Recommendation (“R&R”) filed on
December 11, 2017 (ECF No. 14), Magistrate Judge Lincoln D.
Almond recommended that Plaintiff's Motion for Reversal
(ECF No. 10) be granted and that Defendant the Commissioner
of the Social Security Administration's
(“Commissioner”) Motion To Affirm (ECF No. 12) be
denied. Magistrate Judge Almond also recommended that the
Court enter final judgment for Plaintiff, reversing the
decision of the Commissioner and remanding the matter for
further administrative proceedings consistent with the
R&R. After carefully reviewing the R&R and the
relevant papers, and having heard no objections, the Court
ACCEPTS the R&R in its entirety and adopts the
recommendations and reasoning set forth therein.
The
Court therefore GRANTS Plaintiff's Motion for Reversal
(ECF No. 10) and DENIES the Commissioner's Motion To
Affirm (ECF No. 12). Final judgment shall enter in favor of
Plaintiff. This matter is remanded for further administrative
proceedings consistent with this decision.
IT IS
SO ORDERED.
REPORT
AND RECOMMENDATION
Lincoln D. Almond, United States Magistrate Judge.
This
matter is before the Court for judicial review of a final
decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security
Administration (“Commissioner”) denying
Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) under the
Social Security Act (the “Act”), 42 U.S.C. §
405(g). Plaintiff filed his Complaint on December 18, 2016
seeking to reverse the Decision of the Commissioner. On
September 15, 2017, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Reversal of
the Disability Determination of the Commissioner of Social
Security. (ECF Doc. No. 10). On November 16, 2017, the
Commissioner filed a Motion to Affirm her Decision. (ECF Doc.
No. 12). Plaintiff filed a Reply Brief on November 30, 2017.
(ECF Doc. No. 13).[1]
This
matter has been referred to me for preliminary review,
findings and recommended disposition. 28 U.S.C. §
636(b)(1)(B); LR Cv 72. Based upon my review of the record,
the parties' submissions and independent research, I find
that there is not substantial evidence in this record to
support the Commissioner's decision and findings that
Plaintiff is not disabled within the meaning of the Act.
Consequently, I recommend that Plaintiff's Motion for
Reversal (ECF Doc. No. 10) be GRANTED and that the
Commissioner's Motion to Affirm (ECF Doc. No. 12) be
DENIED.
I.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Plaintiff
filed an application for SSI on September 3, 2013 alleging
disability since January 1, 2010. (Tr. 284-292). The
application was denied initially on December 31, 2013 (Tr.
153-162) and on reconsideration on May 28, 2014. (Tr.
164-175). Plaintiff requested an Administrative Hearing. On
February 26, 2015, a hearing was held before Administrative
Law Judge Martha Bower (the “ALJ”) at which time
Plaintiff, represented by counsel, appeared and testified.
(Tr. 143-152). The ALJ continued the hearing to September 22,
2015 at which time Plaintiff, a Vocational Expert
(“VE”) and a Medical Expert (“ME”)
appeared and testified. (Tr. 44-76). The ALJ issued an
unfavorable decision to Plaintiff on October 15, 2015. (Tr.
22-43). The Appeals Council denied Plaintiff's request
for review on October 19, 2016. (Tr. 1-7). Therefore, the
ALJ's decision became final. A timely appeal was then
filed with this Court.
II.
THE PARTIES' POSITIONS
Plaintiff
argues that the ALJ's decision is infected with several
errors as outlined in his Memorandum.
The
Commissioner disputes Plaintiff's claims and contends
that the ALJ's decision is legally correct, supported by
substantial evidence and thus must be affirmed.
III.
THE STANDARD OF REVIEW
The
Commissioner's findings of fact are conclusive if
supported by substantial evidence. 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).
Substantial evidence is more than a scintilla - i.e., the
evidence must do more than merely create a suspicion of the
existence of a fact, and must include such relevant evidence
as a reasonable person would accept as adequate to support
the conclusion. Ortiz v. Sec'y of Health and Human
Servs., 955 F.2d 765, 769 (1st Cir. 1991)
(per curiam); Rodriguez v. Sec'y of Health and
Human Servs., 647 F.2d 218, 222 (1st
Cir. 1981).
Where
the Commissioner's decision is supported by substantial
evidence, the court must affirm, even if the court would have
reached a contrary result as finder of fact. Rodriguez
Pagan v. Sec'y of Health and Human Servs., 819 F.2d
1, 3 (1st Cir. 1987); Barnes v. Sullivan,
932 F.2d 1356, 1358 (11thCir. 1991). The court
must view the evidence as a whole, taking into account
evidence favorable as well as unfavorable to the decision.
Frustaglia v. Sec'y of Health and Human Servs.,
829 F.2d 192, 195 (1stCir. 1987); Parker v.
Bowen, 793 F.2d 1177 (11th Cir. 1986) (court
also must consider evidence detracting from evidence on which
Commissioner relied).
The
court must reverse the ALJ's decision on plenary review,
however, if the ALJ applies incorrect law, or if the ALJ
fails to provide the court with sufficient reasoning to
determine that he or she properly applied the law. Nguyen v.
Chater, 172 F.3d 31, 35 (1st Cir. 1999) (per
curiam); accord Cornelius v. Sullivan, 936 F.2d 1143, 1145
(11th Cir. 1991). Remand is unnecessary where all
of the essential evidence was before the Appeals Council when
it denied review, and the evidence establishes without any
doubt that the claimant was disabled. Seavey v.
Barnhart, 276 F.3d 1, 11 (1st Cir. 2001)
citing, Mowery v. Heckler, 771 F.2d 966, 973
(6th Cir. 1985).
The
court may remand a case to the Commissioner for a rehearing
under sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g); under
sentence six of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g); or under both
sentences. Seavey, 276 F.3d at 8. To remand under
sentence four, the court must either find that the
Commissioner's decision is not supported by substantial
evidence, or that the Commissioner incorrectly applied the
law relevant to the disability claim. Id.; accord
Brenem v. Harris, 621 F.2d 688, 690 (5th
Cir. 1980) (remand appropriate where record was insufficient
to affirm, but also was insufficient for district court to
find claimant disabled).
Where
the court cannot discern the basis for the Commissioner's
decision, a sentence-four remand may be appropriate to allow
her to explain the basis for her decision. Freeman v.
Barnhart,274 F.3d 606, 609-610 (1st Cir.
2001). On remand under sentence four, the ALJ should review
the case on a complete record, including any new material
evidence. Diorio v.Heckler,721 F.2d 726,
729 (11th Cir. 1983) (necessary for ALJ on remand
to consider psychiatric report tendered to Appeals Council).
After a ...