Frankenfield v. Bowen, 88-3327
Citation | 861 F.2d 405 |
Decision Date | 17 November 1988 |
Docket Number | No. 88-3327,88-3327 |
Parties | , Unempl.Ins.Rep. CCH 14270A Ernest FRANKENFIELD, Appellant, v. Otis R. BOWEN, M.D., Secretary of Health and Human Services, Appellee. |
Court | United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (3rd Circuit) |
Karl E. Osterhout (argued), Robert N. Peirce, Jr. & Associates, Pittsburgh, Pa., for appellant.
J. Alan Johnson, U.S. Atty., Amy Reynolds Hay, Asst. U.S. Atty., W.D.Pa., Beverly Dennis, III, Chief Counsel, Region III, Charlotte Hardnett, Chief, Social Security Litigation Div., James A. Winn (argued), Asst. Regional Counsel, Dept. of Health and Human Services, Philadelphia, Pa., for appellee.
Before GIBBONS, Chief Judge, SEITZ, Circuit Judge and POLLAK, District Judge. *
Ernest Frankenfield appeals from a summary judgment in favor of the Secretary of Health and Human Services in Frankenfield's action, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Sec. 405(g) (1982 & Supp. IV 1986), for review of an administrative decision denying his request for disability benefits commencing as of July of 1985. Frankenfield contends that the case should be remanded to the agency for further proceedings because the administrative law judge did not give proper weight to the reports of his treating physician and refused to consider evidence of his psychiatric impairment. We will reverse the summary judgment in favor of the Secretary and remand for the entry of an order directing a remand to the Secretary for further consideration of Frankfield's medical and psychiatric impairments between March 1985 and September 1987.
Frankenfield is a fifty-one-year old former pipefitter, with a ninth grade education. After twenty-six years working as a pipefitter, on March 25, 1985, he was admitted to a hospital suffering from an acute myocardial infarction. In April 1985, a treadmill test was terminated after five minutes because of myocardial ischemia and shortness of breath. In May of 1985, a cardiac catheterization was performed, and showed a fifty percent occlusion of the left anterior descending artery, seventy percent occlusion of the circumflex artery and a fifty percent occlusion of the proximal right coronary artery. Frankenfield suffered angina attacks in July and August of 1985. In September of 1985, he was hospitalized following another coronary incident. A second catheterization was performed, which showed significant progression of Frankenfield's coronary disease since May of 1985. The left anterior descending artery was eighty to ninety percent occluded the left circumflex artery was seventy percent occluded, and the right coronary artery was totally occluded. Quadruple coronary bypass surgery was performed on September 19, 1985. Frankenfield was released from the hospital, but readmitted on October 4, 1985, following a syncopal episode. At that time an EKG test was unremarkable, but a stress test performed on October 23, 1985, showed residual ischemic changes in the inferior wall of the left ventricle.
Frankenfield never worked after the March 25, 1985 myocardial infarction. He continued to report to his physicians episodes of pain in his left arm and chest, shortness of breath, and easy fatigability. In March 1986, a treadmill test was discontinued after five minutes because of shortness of breath, left leg pain, and fatigue.
Frankenfield applied for disability benefits on July 2, 1985. His claim was denied and he requested a hearing, which was held on November 3, 1986. The administrative law judge ruled that Frankenfield was not disabled, and the Appeals Council denied Frankenfield's request for review. The administrative record contains reports from Dr. Alan D. Bramowitz, Frankenfield's cardiologist, Dr. Nirmala Somani, his internist, and Dr. Guillermo Borrero, a psychiatrist who treated him for major depression. Dr. Bramowitz reported that Frankenfield suffered in August 1986 from very limited exercise tolerance, which rendered him incapable of returning to work. Dr. Somani reported as of October 22, 1986, that Frankenfield's functional capacity was limited by shortness of breath caused by minimal exertion. She recommended that he completely avoid physical exertion and concluded that he was disabled from pursuing any occupation. Both Dr. Bramowitz and Dr. Somani find a psychological disorder as well as exertional impairments. Dr. Somani's report disclosed that Frankenfield was taking 150 mg of Sinequan for sleep and depression. Dr. Borrero's reports of May 20, 1987 and June 4, 1987 disclose a diagnosis of depression which causes inability to function adequately, and Dr. Borrero states that because of his current level of functioning, he should not return to work.
The administrative law judge ruled that Frankenfield has residual functional capacity to perform the physical exertion requirements of work except for strenuous exertion above the light level and that there are no nonexertional limitations. Conceding that Frankenfield could not perform his past relevant work as a pipefitter, the administrative law judge concluded that since he could perform the full...
To continue reading
Request your trial-
Hux v. Astrue
..."limited household chores" is not necessarily indicative of an accompanying ability to maintain a full-time job. Frankenfield v. Bowen, 861 F.2d 405, 408 (3d Cir. 1988). Nonetheless, a claimant's "daily activities" may be considered as a factor in ascertaining the intensity and persistence ......
-
Gloria L. Ritz v. Colvin, CASE NO. 1:15-cv-00388-CCC-GBC
...is not disabled. See Burns v. Colvin, No. 1:14-CV-1925, 2016 WL 147269, at *1 (M.D. Pa. Jan. 13, 2016) (citing Frankenfield v. Bowen, 861 F.2d 405, 408 (3d Cir.1988); Doak v. Heckler, 790 F.2d 26, 29-30 (3d Cir.1986); Ferguson v. Schweiker, 765 F.2d 31, 37, 36-37 (3d Cir.1985); Kent v. Schw......
-
Burns v. Colvin
...when the ALJ rejects every medical opinion in the record with only lay reinterpretation of medical evidence. See Frankenfield v. Bowen, 861 F.2d 405, 408 (3d Cir. 1988); Doak v. Heckler, 790 F.2d 26, 29-30 (3d Cir. 1986); Ferguson v. Schweiker, 765 F.2d 31, 37, 36-37 (3d Cir. 1985); Kent v.......
-
Higgins v. Colvin, CASE NO. 1:15-cv-00594-YK-GBC
...31, 2016), report and recommendation adopted, No. 1:14-CV-2219, 2016 WL 1569895 (M.D. Pa. Apr. 19, 2016) (citing Frankenfield v. Bowen, 861 F.2d 405, 408 (3d Cir. 1988); Doak v. Heckler, 790 F.2d 26, 29-30 (3d Cir. 1986); Fergusonv. Schweiker, 765 F.2d 31, 37, 36-37 (3d Cir. 1985); Kent v. ......
-
Case survey
...and not due to his or her own credibility judgments, speculation or lay opinion. Plummer , 186 F.3d at 429; Frankenfield v. Bowen , 861 F.2d 405, 408 (3d Cir. 1988); Kent v.Schweiker , 710 F.2d 110, 115 (3d Cir. 1983). Id. In Morales , the court determined that the ALJ’s refusal to credit t......
-
Table of cases
...La. Mar. 29, 2001), §§ 105.12, 107.16, 202.6, 203.1, 204.2, 204.9, 205.7, 205.12, 312.3, 504.7, 1105.1, 1202.6 Frankenfield v. Bowen , 861 F.2d 405, 408 (3d Cir. 1988), § 202.2 Franklin v. Apfel , 8 F. Supp.2d 227, 232 (W.D.N.Y. 1998), §§ 105.9, 107.19, 312.3, 312.4, 1107.19 Frankl v. Shala......
-
Assessment of disability issues
...or her own credibility judgments, speculation or lay opinion. Plummer , 186 F.3d at 429; Frankenfield v. II-821 CASE SURVEY §202.2 Bowen , 861 F.2d 405, 408 (3d Cir. 1988); Kent v. Schweiker , 710 F.2d 110, 115 (3d Cir. 1983). Id. In Morales , the court determined that the ALJ’s refusal to ......
-
Table of Cases
...La. Mar. 29, 2001), §§ 105.12, 107.16, 202.6, 203.1, 204.2, 204.9, 205.7, 205.12, 312.3, 504.7, 1105.1, 1202.6 Frankenfield v. Bowen , 861 F.2d 405, 408 (3d Cir. 1988), § 202.2 Franklin v. Apfel , 8 F. Supp.2d 227, 232 (W.D.N.Y. 1998), §§ 105.9, 107.19, 312.3, 312.4, 1107.19 Frankl v. Shala......