Chavies v. Finch, 25800.

Decision Date24 May 1971
Docket NumberNo. 25800.,25800.
Citation443 F.2d 356
PartiesMatthew CHAVIES, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Robert H. FINCH, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Defendant-Appellee.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

Carolyn Jones, Thomas L. Fike, Clifford Sweet, Legal Aid Society of Alameda County, Oakland, Cal., for plaintiff-appellant.

William D. Ruckelshaus, Asst. Atty. Gen., Kathryn H. Baldwin, Thomas J. Press, Attys., Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., Sheldon Deutsch, Asst. U. S. Atty., James L. Browning, Jr., U. S. Atty., San Francisco, Cal., for defendant-appellee.

Before HAMLEY, DUNIWAY and HUFSTEDLER, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

Chavies brought this action in the District Court, under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), to review and set aside a final decision by the Secretary finding that Chavies' period of disability had ceased and that he was no longer entitled to disability benefits under 42 U.S.C. §§ 416(i), 423. The District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the Secretary. Chavies appeals. We affirm.

The scope of our review is limited: "The findings of the Secretary as to any fact, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive * * *." 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). Rhinehart v. Finch, 9 Cir., 1971, 438 F.2d 920; Dean v. Gardner, 9 Cir., 1968, 393 F.2d 327. The Hearing Examiner found, and his decision was adopted by the Appeals Council, that Chavies' period of disability from a back injury ceased in November, 1966, and that after that date he had the residual mental and physical capacity to undertake certain jobs which existed in the national economy. The finding is supported by substantial medical evidence that Chavies' although still under a partial disability, was able to perform light work not requiring significant physical exertion.

Chavies argues that the testimony of a vocational expert who referred to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles cannot be considered as substantial evidence to support the findings of the Hearing Examiner. The vocational expert selected three jobs, signalman, flagman, parking lot attendant, which according to the description in the Dictionary and the medical evidence as to Chavies' physical capacities, and Chavies' age, education and skills, Chavies would be capable of performing. Chavies says that the Dictionary used is not evidence that such jobs are reasonably available to him. He relies on Rosin v. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, 9 Cir., 1967, 379 F.2d 189; Davidson v. Gardner, 6 Cir., 1967, 370 F.2d 803, and Boyd v. Gardner, 4 Cir., 1967, 377 F.2d 718. To the extent that those cases stand for the proposition that the Secretary must prove that work opportunities are either actually or reasonably available to the particular claimant, they are no longer the law. Congress changed the law by the addition to the Act, in 1968, of section 223(d) (2) (A) which provides:

"(A) an individual * * * shall be determined to be under a disability only if his physical or mental impairment or
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  • Holguin v. Harris
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Northern District of California
    • November 14, 1979
    ...single question of whether or not the findings of the Secretary of HEW are supported by substantial record evidence. Chavies v. Finch, 443 F.2d 356, 357 (9 Cir. 1971); Dean v. Gardner, 393 F.2d 327, 328 (9 Cir. 1968). "Substantial evidence" is "such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind mi......
  • Parker v. Califano
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Northern District of California
    • November 7, 1977
    ...single question of whether or not the findings of the Secretary of HEW are supported by substantial record evidence. Chavies v. Finch, 443 F.2d 356, 357 (9 Cir. 1971); Dean v. Gardner, 393 F.2d 327, 328 (9 Cir. 1968). This statutory restriction upon the scope of judicial review is applicabl......
  • Freeman v. Harris, Civ. A. No. 79-1624.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — District of South Carolina
    • February 13, 1981
    ...jobs in the economy e. g., Reynolds v. Richardson, No. 71-2031, CCH Unemployment Rep., Fed. ¶ 16,842 (4th Cir. 1972); Chavies v. Finch, 443 F.2d 356 (9th Cir. 1971), facts pertaining to the capacity of a specific individual can be supplied only by particularized proof. See Hernandez v. Wein......
  • Courll v. Weinberger
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Eastern District of California
    • February 15, 1975
    ...face is whether the record as a whole contains substantial evidence to support the factual findings of the Secretary. Chavies v. Finch, 443 F.2d 356 (9th Cir. 1971); Rhinehardt v. Finch, 438 F.2d 920 (9th Cir. 1971). In the instant case, plaintiff has never had an adjudication of his disabi......
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