Hawkins v. Social Security Administration, Commissioner

Filing 17

MEMORANDUM OPINION that the decision of the commissioner is due to be affirmed as more fully set out thereon. Signed by Judge C Lynwood Smith, Jr on 11/6/2018. (AHI)

FILED
2018 Nov-06 AM 10:31
U.S. DISTRICT COURT
N.D. OF ALABAMA

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
MIDDLE DIVISION
APRIL STIEFEL HAWKINS,
Claimant,
vs.
NANCY A. BERRYHILL, Acting
Commissioner, Social Security
Administration,
Defendant.

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Case No. 4:17-cv-2136-CLS

MEMORANDUM OPINION
Claimant, April Stiefel Hawkins, commenced this action on December 19,
2017, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), seeking judicial review of a final adverse
decision of the Commissioner, affirming the decision of the Administrative Law
Judge (“ALJ”), and thereby denying her claim for a period of disability, disability
insurance, and supplemental security income benefits.
The court’s role in reviewing claims brought under the Social Security Act is
a narrow one. The scope of review is limited to determining whether there is
substantial evidence in the record as a whole to support the findings of the
Commissioner, and whether correct legal standards were applied. See Lamb v.
Bowen, 847 F.2d 698, 701 (11th Cir. 1988); Tieniber v. Heckler, 720 F.2d 1251, 1253
(11th Cir. 1983).

Claimant contends that the Commissioner’s decision is neither supported by
substantial evidence nor in accordance with applicable legal standards. Specifically,
claimant asserts that the ALJ: (1) improperly considered the opinion of her treating
physician; (2) improperly considered her lack of medical treatment; (3) failed to find
that she met the requirements of Listings 12.04 and 12.06; (4) entered a residual
functional capacity finding that was not supported by substantial evidence; (5) failed
to include all of her impairments in the hypothetical question to the vocational expert;
(6) improperly evaluated her subjective complaints; and (7) failed to adequately
consider her medication side effects. Upon review of the record, the court concludes
that these contentions are without merit, and the Commissioner’s decision is due to
be affirmed.
A.

Treating Physician Opinion
Claimant first asserts that the ALJ improperly considered the opinions of Dr.

Ochuko Odjegba, her treating physician. The opinion of a treating physician “must
be given substantial or considerable weight unless ‘good cause’ is shown to the
contrary.” Phillips v. Barnhart, 357 F.3d 1232, 1240-41 (11th Cir. 2004) (internal
citations omitted). Good cause exists when “(1) [the] treating physician’s opinion
was not bolstered by the evidence; (2) [the] evidence supported a contrary finding;
or (3) [the] treating physician’s opinion was conclusory or inconsistent with the

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doctor’s own medical records.” Id. (alterations supplied). Additionally, the ALJ is
not required to accept a conclusory statement from a medical source, even a treating
source, that a claimant is unable to work, because the decision on that issue is not a
medical question, but is a decision “reserved to the Commissioner.” 20 C.F.R. §§
404.1527(d) & 416.927(d).
Social Security regulations also provide that, in considering what weight to
give any medical opinion (regardless of whether it is from a treating or non-treating
physician), the Commissioner should evaluate: the extent of the examining or
treating relationship between the doctor and patient; whether the doctor’s opinion can
be supported by medical signs and laboratory findings; whether the opinion is
consistent with the record as a whole; the doctor’s specialization; and other factors.
See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1527(c) & 416.927(c). See also Wheeler v. Heckler, 784 F.2d
1073, 1075 (11th Cir. 1986) (“The weight afforded a physician’s conclusory
statements depends upon the extent to which they are supported by clinical or
laboratory findings and are consistent with other evidence as to claimant’s
impairments.”).
The record contains three assessments from Dr. Odjegba. He completed a form
entitled “Request for Medical Information Work Requirements” for the State of
Alabama Department of Public Health Food Stamp Program on March 7, 2014. He

3

checked a box indicating that claimant was not able work, and then explained that her
limitations were due to lumbago, generalized osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia. She
had experienced those conditions for “years,” and would continue to suffer from them
permanently.1
Dr. Odjegba also completed a “Physical Capacities Form” on June 2, 2015. He
indicated that claimant could sit for thirty minutes at a time and stand and walk for
fifteen minutes at a time. She would have to lie down, sleep, or sit with her legs
propped up for three hours during an eight-hour work day. Her limitations existed
back to October 1, 2012, and they would continue for twelve or more months. The
limitations were caused by back and knee pain, and the medications claimant took for
her conditions caused sedation, nausea, and vomiting.2
Dr. Odjegba completed a second “Physical Capacities Form” on November 2,
2016. He indicated that claimant could sit, stand, and walk for thirty minutes at a
time. She would have to lie down, sleep, or sit with her legs propped up for four
hours during an eight-hour work day. Her limitations existed back to October 1,
2012, and they would continue for twelve or more months. The limitations were
caused by cervicalgia, backache, fibromyalgia, and generalized osteoarthritis. The

1

Tr. 1083.

2

Tr. 1334.
4

medications claimant took for her conditions caused sedation and drowsiness.3
The ALJ afforded only little weight to Dr. Odjegba’s opinions. The ALJ did not
credit Dr. Odjegba’s statement that claimant was unable to work because that is an
issue reserved to the Commissioner. He also explained that Dr. Odjegba
attempted to relate mental limitations but is not qualified to give such an
opinion. Dr. Odjegba has also opined that the claimant is unable to sit,
stand, or walk for longer than 30 minutes, which is not supported by any
of his findings during the relevant period . . . . He remarked that the
claimant’s medications cause sedation, drowsiness, nausea, and
vomiting, although his treatment notes reveal no such complaints.
Tr. 94 (record citation omitted). The ALJ thus adequately articulated his reasons for
not fully crediting Dr. Odjegba’s opinions.
Claimant argues that the ALJ’s decision nonetheless was not supported by
substantial evidence because Dr. Odjegba’s treating records reflect that claimant
consistently received treatment for cervical and thoracic spine pain, and she reported
pain scores of six or higher on at least twenty-six occasions between 2005 and 2013.
Claimant also points to her fibromyalgia diagnosis and to MRI and x-ray results that
reveal spondylitic changes and scoliosis in her spine. Even so, the mere existence of
a medical condition, or of some pain resulting from that condition, does not support
a finding of disability. Neither does claimant’s subjective assessment of her pain
level. Instead, the relevant consideration is the effect of claimant’s condition,
3

Tr. 1439.
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considered in combination with any of her other impairments, on her ability to
perform substantial gainful work activities. See 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1505(a) &
416.905(a) (defining a disability as “the inability to do any substantial gainful activity
by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can
be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a
continuous period of not less than 12 months”). See also Bowen v. Yuckert, 482 U.S.
137, 146 (1987) (“The [Social Security] Act ‘defines “disability” in terms of the
effect a physical or mental impairment has on a person’s ability to function in the
workplace.’”) (quoting Heckler v. Campbell, 461 U.S. 458, 459-60 (1983)) (alteration
supplied). Even though there may be some subjective evidence in the record to
support Dr. Odjegba’s assessment, there is substantial evidence to support the ALJ’s
decision to afford only little weight to that assessment.
Claimant also asserts that the ALJ improperly afforded more weight to the
opinion of Dr. Samuel Williams, the state agency consultant, than it did to Dr.
Odjegba’s opinion. As an initial matter, the ALJ only afforded Dr. Williams’s
assessment “some weight,” which is not much more than the “little weight” he
afforded to Dr. Odjegba’s assessment. Moreover, the ALJ did not specifically rely
upon Dr. Williams’s opinion as a factor in deciding to reject Dr. Odjegba’s opinions.
Finally, the ALJ was entitled to afford more weight to the opinion of a non-examining

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physician than to the opinion of a treating physician if the non-examining physician’s
opinion was more consistent with the medical evidence.
B.

Lack of Medical Treatment
Claimant also argues that the ALJ improperly drew adverse inferences from her

lack of medical treatment. The only time the ALJ mentioned claimant’s lack of
treatment was in the following context:
Moreover, there is no objective support for [claimant’s] allegations of
disabling mental symptoms. The claimant has been noted to
demonstrate inadequate attention at only one encounter during the
relevant period, undermining her complaints of an inability to
concentrate . . . . She has also gone without mental health treatment for
much of the relevant period, but she generally demonstrates an
appropriate mood and affect with memory intact. . . .
Tr. 94 (alteration and emphasis supplied, record citations omitted).
It is true that “poverty excuses [a claimant’s] noncompliance” with medical
treatment. Dawkins v. Bowen, 848 F.2d 1211, 1213 (11th Cir. 1988) (alteration
supplied). Thus, “while a remediable or controllable medical condition is generally
not disabling, when a ‘claimant cannot afford the prescribed treatment and can find
no way to obtain it, the condition that is disabling in fact continues to be disabling in
law.’” Id. (quoting Taylor v. Bowen, 782 F.2d 1294, 1298 (5th Cir. 1986)). The
Eleventh Circuit has also held that “when an ALJ relies on noncompliance as the sole
ground for the denial of disability benefits, and the record contains evidence showing

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that the claimant is financially unable to comply with prescribed treatment, the ALJ
is required to determine whether the claimant was able to afford the prescribed
treatment.” Ellison v. Barnhart, 355 F.3d 1272, 1275 (11th Cir. 2003) (citing
Dawkins, 848 F.2d at 1214) (emphasis supplied).
As an initial matter, it does not appear that the ALJ actually drew an adverse
inference from claimant’s lack of medical treatment. He did not find that claimant’s
complaints of mental health symptoms should not be fully credited because claimant
had not sought enough treatment. Instead, he considered that, even for someone who
had received only limited mental health treatment, claimant did not display symptoms
consistent with disabling limitations.
Moreover, even if the ALJ had drawn an adverse inference from claimant’s
lack of treatment, and even if her lack of treatment was the result of financial
difficulty, the ALJ’s decision would have been, at most, harmless error. Claimant’s
failure to seek additional mental health treatment was far from the sole reason that the
ALJ denied claimant’s disability benefits. The ALJ also considered claimant’s
reported activities, other medical conditions, and medical records.
C.

Mental Health Listings
Claimant next asserts that the ALJ should have found her disabled under

Listings 12.04 and 12.06. Listing 12.04, addressing affective disorders, requires

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proof of:
1. Depressive disorder, characterized by five or more of the
following:
a. Depressed mood;
b. Diminished interest in almost all activities;
c. Appetite disturbance with change in weight;
d. Sleep disturbance;
e. Observable psychomotor agitation or retardation;
f. Decreased energy;
g. Feelings of guilt or worthlessness;
h. Difficulty concentrating or thinking; or
i. Thoughts of death or suicide.
20 C.F.R. § Pt. 404, Subpt. P, App. 1, § 12.04A (listings) (the “A criteria”).
Additionally, a claimant must show:
Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the
following areas of mental functioning (see 12.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 12.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 12.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 12.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 12.00E4).
20 C.F.R. § Pt. 404, Subpt. P, App. 1, § 12.04B (listings) (“B criteria”).
Alternatively, even without satisfying the A and B criteria, claimant can demonstrate
a mental disorder that is
“serious and persistent;” that is, you have a medically documented
history of the existence of the disorder over a period of at least 2 years,
and there is evidence of both:
1. Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial
support(s), or a highly structured setting(s) that is ongoing and
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that diminishes the symptoms and signs of your mental disorder
(see 12.00G2b); and
2. Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity
to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that are
not already part of your daily life (see 12.00G2c).
20 C.F.R. § Pt. 404, Subpt. P, App. 1, § 12.04C (listings) (“C criteria”).
Listing 12.06, addressing anxiety related disorders, requires proof of:
Medical documentation of the requirements of paragraph 1, 2, or 3:
1. Anxiety disorder, characterized by three or more of the following;
a. Restlessness;
b. Easily fatigued;
c. Difficulty concentrating;
d. Irritability;
e. Muscle tension; or
f. Sleep disturbance.
2. Panic disorder or agoraphobia, characterized by one or both:
a. Panic attacks followed by a persistent concern or worry about
additional panic attacks or their consequences; or
b. Disproportionate fear or anxiety about at least two different
situations (for example, using public transportation, being in a
crowd, being in a line, being outside of your home, being in open
spaces).
3. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, characterized by one or both:
a. Involuntary, time-consuming preoccupation with intrusive,
unwanted thoughts; or

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b. Repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety.
20 C.F.R. § Pt. 404, Subpt. P, App. 1, § 12.06A (listings) (“A criteria”). Additionally,
a claimant must show:
Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the
following areas of mental functioning (see 12.00F):
1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 12.00E1).
2. Interact with others (see 12.00E2).
3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 12.00E3).
4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 12.00E4).
20 C.F.R. § Pt. 404, Subpt. P, App. 1, § 12.06B (listings) (“B criteria”).
Alternatively, a claimant can demonstrate that her mental disorder is
“serious and persistent;” that is, you have a medically documented
history of the existence of the disorder over a period of at least 2 years,
and there is evidence of both:
1. Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial
support(s), or a highly structured setting(s) that is ongoing and
that diminishes the symptoms and signs of your mental disorder
(see 12.00G2b); and
2. Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity
to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that are
not already part of your daily life (see 12.00G2c).
20 C.F.R. § Pt. 404, Subpt. P, App. 1, § 12.06C (listings) (“C criteria”).
The ALJ found that claimant had only moderate impairment in the functional
areas included in the “B criteria” of both listings. With regard to the “C criteria,” the
ALJ found that claimant had more than marginal adjustment abilities. Accordingly,
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the ALJ found that claimant did not satisfy the requirements of either Listing 12.04
or Listing 12.06.4
Claimant challenges the ALJ’s finding, but she does not actually explain why
she satisfied these listings. Instead, she simply summarizes her mental health
treatment records and her hearing testimony about panic attacks. There is no question
that claimant has received treatment for mental health conditions, and the ALJ
accounted for claimant’s depression, anxiety, and panic disorder by limiting her to
unskilled work that does not require complex instructions or procedures, or any more
than occasional interaction with the general public.5 But claimant has failed to satisfy
the burden of establishing that she suffers from any listed impairment.
D.

Residual Functional Capacity Finding
The ALJ found that claimant retained the residual functional capacity
to perform light unskilled work as defined in 20 CFR 404.1567(b) and
416.967(b) not requiring complex instructions or procedures; no
climbing of ropes, ladders, or scaffolds; no work at unprotected heights
or with hazardous machinery; frequent handling bilaterally; occasional
stooping, crouching, crawling, or kneeling; frequent interaction with coworkers and supervisors; and occasional contact with the general public.

Tr. 91. Claimant asserts that the residual functional capacity finding is “simply
conclusory and does not contain any rationale or reference to the supporting evidence,

4

Tr. 90.

5

Tr. 91, 94.
12

as required by SSR 96-8p.”6 Social Security Ruling 96-8p states, in pertinent part:
The RFC assessment must include a narrative discussion
describing how the evidence supports each conclusion, citing specific
medical facts (e.g., laboratory findings) and nonmedical evidence (e.g.,
daily activities, observations). In assessing RFC, the adjudicator must
discuss the individual’s ability to perform sustained work activities in
an ordinary work setting on a regular and continuing basis (i.e., 8 hours
a day, for 5 days a week, or an equivalent work schedule), and describe
the maximum amount of each work-related activity the individual can
perform based on the evidence available in the case record. The
adjudicator must also explain how any material inconsistencies or
ambiguities in the evidence in the case record were considered and
resolved.
Symptoms. In all cases in which symptoms, such as pain, are
alleged, the RFC assessment must:
•

Contain a thorough discussion and analysis of the objective
medical and other evidence, including the individual’s
complaints of pain and other symptoms and the
adjudicator’s personal observations, if appropriate;

•

Include a resolution of any inconsistencies in the evidence
as a whole; and

•

Set forth a logical explanation of the effects of the
symptoms, including pain, on the individual’s ability to
work.

The RFC assessment must include a discussion of why reported
symptom-related functional limitations and restrictions can or cannot
reasonably be accepted as consistent with the medical and other
evidence. In instances in which the adjudicator has observed the
individual, he or she is not free to accept or reject that individual’s
complaints solely on the basis of such personal observations. . . .

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Doc. no. 11 (Claimant’s Brief), at 36.
13

SSR 96-8p (emphasis in original).
The ALJ’s residual functional capacity finding satisfied these requirements.
Contrary to claimant’s suggestion, the finding was far from conclusory. The ALJ
described in great detail the facts and evidence that supported his conclusion. He
evaluated the credibility of claimant’s subjective complaints, resolved inconsistencies
in the medical records, assigned appropriate weights to various medical opinions, and
explained the effects of claimant’s impairments on her ability to work on a sustained
basis.
E.

Hypothetical Question to the Vocational Expert
Claimant next contends that the ALJ’s decision was not supported by

substantial evidence because the ALJ did not include of all her impairments in the
hypothetical question posed to the vocational expert during the administrative
hearing. See Winschel v. Commissioner of Social Security, 631 F.3d 1176, 1180
(11th Cir. 2011) (quoting Wilson v. Barnhart, 284 F.3d 1219, 1227 (11th Cir. 2002)
(per curiam)) (“‘In order for a vocational expert’s testimony to constitute substantial
evidence, the ALJ must pose a hypothetical question which comprises all of the
claimant’s impairments.’”). According to claimant, if the ALJ had included the
additional impairments of being off task 20% of each workday and lying down two
or more hours during a workday, she would have been found disabled.7 Even so,
7

See id. at 40.
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claimant stops short of actually explaining why those two additional limitations
should have been imposed. Her conclusory argument is not sufficient to satisfy her
burden of establishing a disability. As discussed in the following section, the ALJ
properly rejected claimant’s subjective complaints regarding concentration problems
and the need to rest during the day.
F.

Subjective Complaints
Claimant also asserts that the ALJ improperly considered her subjective

complaints of pain and related symptoms, including a need to be off task 20% of each
work day and a need to lie down for two or more hours during a work day. To
demonstrate that pain or another subjective symptom renders her disabled, a claimant
must “produce ‘evidence of an underlying medical condition and (1) objective
medical evidence that confirms the severity of the alleged pain arising from that
condition or (2) that the objectively determined medical condition is of such severity
that it can be reasonably expected to give rise to the alleged pain.’” Edwards v.
Sullivan, 937 F.2d 580, 584 (11th Cir. 1991) (quoting Landry v. Heckler, 782 F.2d
1551, 1553 (11th Cir. 1986)). If an ALJ discredits subjective testimony of pain, “he
must articulate explicit and adequate reasons.” Hale v. Bowen, 831 F.2d 1007, 1011
(11th Cir. 1987) (citing Jones v. Bowen, 810 F.2d 1001, 1004 (11th Cir. 1986);
MacGregor v. Bowen, 786 F.2d 1050, 1054 (11th Cir. 1986)).

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The ALJ in the present case properly applied these legal principles. He found
that claimant’s medically determinable impairments could reasonably have been
expected to produce the symptoms claimant alleged, but that claimant’s statements
concerning the intensity, persistence, and limiting effects of her symptoms were not
entirely consistent with the medical and other evidence.8 That conclusion was in
accordance with applicable law. See Marbury v. Sullivan, 957 F.2d 837, 839 (11th
Cir. 1992) (“After considering a claimant’s complaints of pain, the ALJ may reject
them as not creditable, and that determination will be reviewed for substantial
evidence.”) (citing Wilson v. Heckler, 734 F.2d 513, 517 (11th Cir. 1984)) (emphasis
supplied).
The ALJ also adequately articulated reasons to support his findings. He
reasoned:
The claimant’s complaints of disabling pain are not supported by the
objective findings. Diagnostic imaging has revealed no significant
abnormalities to explain the claimant’s alleged symptoms, indicating
only minimal to mild arthritic changes . . . . The claimant exhibits
tenderness at times associated with degenerative disc disease and
osteoarthritis, but she maintains a normal gait with full strength,
sensation, and range of motion . . . . Although she complains of severe
pain when given the ten-point pain scale, she describes her pain as mild
to moderate at worst when seeking emergency treatment . . . . The
claimant alleged that she lies down for most of the day due to
medication side effects, but there is no indication within the treatment
notes that she has reported any such side effects to her primary care
physician . . . . This allegation is also inconsistent with her reports of a
8

Tr. 93.
16

moderate activity level and ongoing exercise . . . . Moreover, there is no
objective support for her allegations of disabling mental symptoms. The
claimant has been noted to demonstrate inadequate attention at only one
encounter during the relevant period, undermining her complaints of an
inability to concentrate . . . . She has also gone without mental health
treatment for much of the relevant period, but she generally
demonstrates an appropriate mood and affect with memory intact . . . .
Tr. 93-94 (citations to the record omitted).
Claimant contends that those findings were not supported by substantial
evidence because she reported pain scores of 8 and 9 during two visits to the
emergency room during 2015 and 2106.9 She is correct about those two pain scores,
but experiencing severe pain on two isolated occasions is not sufficient to establish
an inability to work because of pain. Claimant also points out that she has received
a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, a condition that does not show up on diagnostic imaging.
As discussed above, however, that diagnosis does not support a finding of disability.
The ALJ’s findings regarding the consistency of claimant’s subjective complaints
with the remainder of the record were supported by substantial evidence.
G.

Medication Side Effects
Claimant testified that she has a low tolerance for medications, and her

medications make her drowsy. She begins to feel the side effects of the medication
approximately thirty minutes after she takes them, and the effects last approximately

9

See Tr. 1339, 1344.
17

five or six hours, or until it is time to take the next dose.10 She asserts that the ALJ
failed to consider or discuss the side effects of her medications in assessing her
residual functional capacity. That is not an accurate statement. The ALJ specifically
mentioned claimant’s testimony that she had to lie down during the day because her
medications cause drowsiness and difficulty functioning.11 He also noted that
claimant had not reported troublesome side effects to any of her health care providers.
Thus, the ALJ properly considered the effect of claimant’s medication side effects on
her ability to perform gainful work activity, and his decision was supported by
substantial evidence.
H.

Conclusion
In summary, the court concludes the ALJ’s decision was based upon substantial

evidence and in accordance with applicable legal standards. Accordingly, the
decision of the Commissioner is due to be affirmed. An appropriate order will be
entered contemporaneously herewith.
DONE this 7th day of November, 2018.

______________________________
United States District Judge

10

Tr. 122-23.

11

Tr. 91.
18