Royse v. Berryhill

          MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

          Henry R. Wilhoilt Jr. United States District Judge

         Plaintiff has brought this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §405(g) to challenge a final decision of the Defendant denying Plaintiffs application for disability insurance benefits. The Court having reviewed the record in this case and the dispositive motions filed by the parties, and being otherwise sufficiently advised, for the reasons set forth herein, finds that the decision of the Administrative Law Judge is supported by substantial evidence and should be affirmed.

         I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

         Plaintiff filed his current application for disability insurance alleging disability beginning due to heart problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, knee problems and carpal tunnel syndrome (Tr. 380). This application was denied initially and on reconsideration. Thereafter, upon request by Plaintiff, an administrative hearing was conducted by Administrative Law Judge John Dowling (hereinafter "ALJ"), wherein Plaintiff, accompanied by counsel, testified. At the hearing, Ellen C. Jenkins, a vocational expert (hereinafter "VE"), also testified.

         At the hearing, pursuant to 20 C.F.R. § 416.920, the ALJ performed the following five-step sequential analysis in order to determine whether the Plaintiff was disabled:

Step 1: If the claimant is performing substantial gainful work, he is not disabled.

Step 2: If the claimant is not performing substantial gainful work, his impairment(s) must be severe before he can be found to be disabled based upon the requirements in 20 C.F.R. § 416.920(b).

Step 3: If the claimant is not performing substantial gainful work and has a severe impairment (or impairments) that has lasted or is expected to last for a continuous period of at least twelve months, and his impairments (or impairments) meets or medically equals a listed impairment contained in Appendix 1, Subpart P, Regulation No. 4, the claimant is disabled without further inquiry.

Step 4; If the claimant's impairment (or impairments) does not prevent him from doing his past relevant work, he is not disabled.

Step 5: Even if the claimant's impairment or impairments prevent him from performing his past relevant work, if other work exists in significant numbers in the national economy that accommodates his residual functional capacity and vocational factors, he is not disabled.

         The ALJ issued a decision finding that Plaintiff was not disabled (Tr. 78-89), Plaintiff was 46 years old on the alleged date of disability. He has a 12^th grade education (Tr. 381). His past relevant work experience consists of work as a iron worker (Tr. 382).

         At Step 1 of the sequential analysis, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had not engaged in substantial gainful activity since February 1, 2013, the alleged onset date of disability (Tr.80).

         The ALJ then determined, at Step 2, that Plaintiff suffers from psoriatic arthritis, caipal tunnel syndrome and degenerative disc disease, which he found to be "severe" within the meaning of the Regulations (Tr. 81-82).

         At Step 3, the ALJ found that Plaintiffs impairments did not meet or medically equal any ...