Shaulis v. Colvin
| Decision Date | 12 February 2014 |
| Docket Number | No. 4:12CV1571 TIA,4:12CV1571 TIA |
| Court | U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Missouri |
| Parties | EVELYN D. SHAULIS, Plaintiff, v. CAROLYN W. COLVIN, COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY, Defendant. |
This cause is on appeal from an adverse ruling of the Social Security Administration. The suit involves Applications for Disability Insurance Benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act and for Supplemental Security Income under Title XVI of the Act. Claimant has filed a Brief in Support of her Complaint, and the Commissioner has filed a Brief in Support of her Answer. The parties consented to the jurisdiction of the undersigned pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).
On January 22, 2009, Claimant Evelyn D. Shaulis filed Applications for Disability Insurance Benefits under Title II of the Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 401 et. seq. (Tr. 157-74) and for Supplemental Security Income payments pursuant to Title XVI of the Social Security Act, 42U.S.C. §§ 1381, et. seq. (Tr. 154-56).2 Claimant states that her disability began on February 14, 2007,3 as a result of asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression, neck and back injury, stomach, and migraines. (Tr. 179). On initial consideration, the Social Security Administration denied Claimant's claims for benefits. (Tr. 84-88). Claimant requested a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge ("ALJ"). (Tr. 89-93). On June 9, 2010, a hearing was held before an ALJ. (Tr. 28-73). Claimant testified and was represented by counsel. (Id.). Vocational Expert J. Stephen Dolan also testified at the hearing. (Tr. 47-50, 150-53). Thereafter, on September 9, 2010, the ALJ issued a decision denying Claimant's claims for benefits. (Tr. 8-18). After considering the letter from counsel and additional medical records from Drs. David Lipsitz and Ana Maria Soto provided by counsel, the Appeals Council on January 4, 2012 found no basis for changing the ALJ's decision. Further, on June 27, 2012, the Appeals Council found no basis for changing the ALJ's decision and denied Claimant's request for review of the ALJ's decision. (Tr. 1-6). The ALJ's determination thus stands as the final decision of the Commissioner. 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).
A. Hearing on June 9, 2010
At the hearing on June 9, 2010, Claimant testified in response to questions posed by the ALJ and counsel. (Tr. 30-47). Claimant is forty-eight years old and completed highschool. (Tr. 30). Claimant stands at five feet seven inches and weighs 175 pounds. (Tr. 33). Claimant lives with her mother in a mobile home. (Tr. 41).
Claimant worked for Comcast from 1984 through July, 2001 as a customer service representative. (Tr. 31). Claimant next worked at AGE for three months and then at Dillards from 2005 to February 14, 2007 in the women's department as a sales person. (Tr. 31-32). Claimant left the job because of her illness. (Tr. 32). Claimant worked in temporary service jobs for a couple of months starting in November 2007 and for Verizon starting in November 2009 through January 2010. (Tr. 33-34).
Claimant has irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis, pancreatitis, and asthma. (Tr. 35-36). Although Claimant testified that she has psychological problems, she has not received any type of psychiatric treatment since her alleged onset date due to lack of finances. (Tr. 36). Claimant admitted that she had not sought treatment as an indigent or clinic, because of her stress and anxiety, and she does not like to hear about other people's problems. (Tr. 36-37). Claimant testified that she has a headache every day, but she lacks resources to fill her medications. (Tr. 37) . Claimant experiences dizziness, fainting episodes, chest pains, and shortness of breath. (Tr. 38) . Claimant testified that she has severe pain in her hip, back, legs, neck, and head. (Tr. 39). Claimant takes pain medication when she has the money for the medicine. (Tr. 39). Claimant experiences nausea every day caused by anxiety or medications. (Tr. 40).
Claimant sought medical treatment in the emergency room three times in the last week, for leg swelling, dehydration, and exhaustion. (Tr. 40).
Claimant can dress and shower without assistance. (Tr. 42). Depending upon the day, she can vacuum, dust, and cook because some days are better than other days. Claimant candrive, but she prefers not to drive because of her dizziness and headaches. (Tr. 42). Claimant testified that she cannot sit or stand for more than five minutes. (Tr. 43). Claimant walks with a limp. Claimant testified that she needs to lie down most of the day because of dizziness and headaches. (Tr. 43). Claimant has problems sleeping at night and experiences flashbacks from her childhood. (Tr. 44, 46). Claimant has crying spells and panic attacks. (Tr. 46).
(Tr. 47). Mr. Dolan responded that the claimant could work as a customer service representative inasmuch as the job is sedentary and a clean environment and a women's clothing sales person, a semi skilled, light job and also a clean environment. (Tr. 47).
The ALJ then added that the claimant is "able to understand, remember and carry out simple to moderately complex instructions and tasks, could adapt to routine work changes, could take appropriate precautions to avoid hazards but should not work in a setting which includes constant or regular contact with the general public." (Tr. 47-48). Mr. Dolan responded that the hypothetical claimant could not perform the customer service representative and women's clothing sales person jobs. (Tr. 48). Mr. Dolan noted that such claimant could perform light jobssuch as housekeeping cleaners with 8,000 jobs available in the St. Louis metropolitan area and hand packaging jobs, light exertional level, with 2,000 jobs available. (Tr. 48).
Next, the ALJ asked Mr. Dolan to further assume lifting ten pounds occasionally and less than ten pounds frequently, would the claimant be able to return to any past relevant work? (Tr. 48). Mr. Dolan opined such further restrictions would not preclude the performance of the customer service representative job but would preclude the performance of the women's clothing sales person job. The ALJ next asked if he added psychological conditions what sedentary work could the claimant perform. Mr. Dolan indicated such jobs would include assemblers, unskilled sedentary jobs with 2,000 available in the St. Louis area and product checkers, unskilled sedentary jobs with 200 available in the St. Louis area. (Tr. 49).
Claimant's counsel asked Mr. Dolan to consider if a hypothetical individual with the following abilities be able to sustain full time employment at any job:
an individual of the claimant's age at onset is unable - has poor to no ability to follow work rules, relate to coworkers, deal with the public, use judgment, interact with supervisors, deal with work stresses, function independently, maintain attention and concentration, and demonstrate reliability....
(Tr. 50). Mr. Dolan responded such individual could not sustain full time employment at any job. (Tr. 50).
In the Disability Report - Adult, Claimant reported she stopped working on November 30, 2007 because of her condition. (Tr. 179).
In the Function Report - Adult, Claimant noted her daily activities to include watching television, making breakfast, doing the dishes, light cleaning, some laundry, walking the dog, andcooking lunch and dinner. (Tr. 192, 194). Claimant reported helping take care of the family pets. (Tr. 193). Claimant reported using a walker prescribed to her by a doctor at St. Joseph Hospital in 2008 and using the walker on days she is dizzy. (Tr. 199).
In the Function Report Adult - Third Party, Debra Cook, a friend of Claimant's, noted that Claimant helps take care of a dog and a cat, prepares her own meals, and helps clean and wash the dishes. (Tr. 211-12).
On April 4, 2006, Claimant received treatment for a runny nose, chest pain, and fever. (Tr. 278).
Claimant reported having sinus problems, congestion, and sore throat on May 8, 2006. (Tr. 269). The doctor directed Claimant to increase her fluids and vaporize and to use Robitussin and to return in three days if not feeling better. (Tr. 275).
On May 23, 2006, Claimant received treatment at St. John's Urgent Care Centers complaining of sinus pressure, congestion, and chest pain. (Tr. 262). Claimant reported lots of mold at work exacerbating her symptoms. (Tr. 262).
On August 4, 2006, Claimant reported having congestion, ear pain, and a sore throat. (Tr. 244). Two days later, she received treatment at St. John's Urgent Care Center for a headache, cold, and cough. (Tr. 253). Although Claimant had been given a prescription for Amoxicillin, she did not get it filled and requested a work excuse. The doctor prescribed Amoxicillin as treatment. (Tr. 253, 258).
On October 20, 2006, Claimant was admitted to St. Joseph Hospital West for treatment of abdominal and chest pain. (Tr. 594). Dr. Moore prescribed Prilosec and Prozac. (Tr. 594).
The Volunteers In Medicine/Family Practice ("VIM") treatment note of October...
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