Watson v. Califano, 79-1543
| Decision Date | 04 March 1980 |
| Docket Number | No. 79-1543,79-1543 |
| Citation | 618 F.2d 18 |
| Parties | Beulah WATSON, Appellant, v. Joseph CALIFANO, Jr., Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Appellee. |
| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit |
Anthony W. Bartels, Jonesboro, Ark., for appellant.
Verrell L. Dethloff, Jr., Dept. of Health, Ed. and Welfare, Baltimore, Md., argued, Barbara Allen Babcock, Asst. Atty. Gen., Washington, D. C., W. H. Dillahunty, U. S. Atty., and Richard M. Pence, Jr., Asst. U. S. Atty., Little Rock, Ark., and Natalie R. Dethloff, Atty., Dept. of Health, Ed. and Welfare, Baltimore, Md., on brief, for appellee.
Before GIBSON, Senior Circuit Judge, and HEANEY and STEPHENSON, Circuit Judges.
Beulah Watson asks this Court to review the decision of the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare denying her Social Security disability benefits. Although Mrs. Watson has only a fourth grade education, she can read and write and has worked as a waitress, seamstress and stock inventory clerk. Her claim for disability benefits is based on the assertion that, at least since May of 1975, she has been unable to do any kind of work because of pain in her back, hip and legs.
A treating orthopedist concluded in his September 16, 1975, report that Mrs. Watson's only physical limitations were related to "heavy lifting, excessive stooping, squatting, bending, or prolonged weight bearing." Approximately one month later, the same orthopedist concluded that he did "not believe (Mrs. Watson) would be able to resume gainful occupation." This conclusion however, was found by the administrative law judge to be unsupported by medical findings. Furthermore, a consulting orthopedist concluded in his January 2, 1976, report that although Mrs. Watson should not be required to do heavy lifting, bending or stooping, she "would be able to perform some type of sedentary type work and possibly some light work."
The administrative law judge reviewed this and other evidence and concluded that Mrs. Watson's medical problems would not prevent her from performing the work of a stock inventory clerk, the last job she had. That work, the administrative law judge found, did not involve heavy lifting, bending or stooping the activities that were precluded by Mrs. Watson's disability. We have reviewed the record and are satisfied that the decision of the administrative law judge is supported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole.
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