Moore v. Commissioner of Social Security
Filing
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ORDER DISMISSING COMPLAINT WITH LEAVE TO AMEND re 1 signed by Magistrate Judge Gary S. Austin on 1/21/2015. Amended Complaint due by 2/23/2015. (Martinez, A)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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CYNTHIA Y. MOORE,
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1:14-cv-01843---GSA
Plaintiff,
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ORDER DISMISSING COMPLAINT
WITH LEAVE TO AMEND
v.
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(Doc. 1)
COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL
SECURITY,
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Defendant.
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I.
Introduction
Plaintiff Cynthia Moore (“Plaintiff”) filed a Social Security complaint (the “Complaint”)
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on November 24, 2014. ECF No. 1. Plaintiff‟s application to proceed in forma pauperis was
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granted on January 9, 2015. ECF No. 4.
Plaintiff appears to be challenging a denial of her Social Security benefits in the
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Complaint. As discussed below, however, the Complaint will be dismissed because it fails to state
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a claim. Plaintiff is granted leave to correct the mistakes discussed below and file an amended
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complaint.
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II.
Discussion
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a.
Legal Standard
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Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), the Court must conduct an initial review of the Complaint
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to determine whether it “state[s] a claim on which relief may be granted,” is “frivolous or
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malicious,” or “seek[s] monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.” If
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the Court determines that the Complaint fails to state a claim, it must be dismissed. Id. Leave to
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amend may be granted to the extent that the deficiencies of the Complaint can be cured by
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amendment. Cato v. United States, 70 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir. 1995).
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A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the
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pleader is entitled to relief . . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not
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required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere
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conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell
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Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 1964-65 (2007)). Plaintiff must set
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forth “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to „state a claim that is plausible on its face.‟”
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Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 663 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). While factual allegations
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are accepted as true, legal conclusion are not. Id. at 678.
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To determine whether a complaint states an actionable claim, the Court must accept the
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allegations in the complaint as true, Hospital Bldg. Co. v. Trustees of Rex Hospital, 425 U.S. 738,
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740 (1976), construe pro se pleadings liberally in the light most favorable to the Plaintiff, Resnick
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v. Hayes, 213 F.3d 443, 447 (9th Cir. 2000), and resolve all doubts in the Plaintiff‟s favor.
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Jenkins v. McKeithen, 395 U.S. 411, 421 (1969). Pleadings of pro se plaintiffs “must be held to
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less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338,
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342 (9th Cir. 2010) (holding that pro se complaints should continue to be liberally construed after
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Iqbal).
Plaintiff’s Allegations
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b.
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Plaintiff‟s Complaint indicates that the Complaint was filed “based on the June 28, 2013
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unfavorable decision.” ECF No. 1. It does not allege who (or which agency) rendered the
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decision, nor does it specify any of the findings of that decision. The Complaint proceeds to cite
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to particular pages of the decision, saying, among other things, that “on page 3 of 9 there is
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inadequate and out dated [sic] information.” Id. The Complaint makes the same comment about
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page 7 of the decision; the page apparently has “inadequate and outdated information that should
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be further looked into.” Id. The Complaint further notes that Plaintiff has recently had surgery and
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would like her case “looked into again.” Id. The Complaint does not go into further detail and
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does not specify any factual or legal basis for the appeal.
Analysis of Plaintiff’s Allegations
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c.
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Under Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a complaint must first set forth a
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“short and plain statement of the grounds for the court‟s jurisdiction.” Under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g),
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a plaintiff appealing a final decision of a denial of Social Security benefits can only come within
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the jurisdiction of this Court if: (1) the appeal is filed within sixty days after she is mailed the
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notice of the final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security; and (2) she resides in the
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district in which the action is filed.
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A “final decision” under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) is reached only after a lengthy process in
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which Plaintiff must exhaust her administrative remedies. Once a denial of benefits is received, a
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claimant must file for reconsideration of that decision with the Social Security Administration. 20
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C.F.R. § 904.909. If the Administration issues an adverse decision, an individual may request that
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an administrative law judge (“ALJ”) hold a hearing. 20 C.F.R. § 404.929. If the ALJ then issues
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an adverse decision, an appeal may be filed with the Social Security Appeals Council. Any appeal
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to the Appeals Council must be filed within sixty days of the ALJ‟s decision. 20 C.F.R. §
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404.968. Once the Appeals Council issues its decision, a Claimant can file a complaint in the
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United States District Court. This complaint must be filed within sixty days of the Appeals
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Council‟s order. 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).
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It is not clear from the face of the Complaint that either of the conditions specified by 42
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U.S.C. § 405(g) have been met. Although the Complaint states that an unfavorable decision was
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rendered on June 28, 2013, it is unclear who issued that decision or whether the requisite appeals
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process (as laid out above) has been followed. Plaintiff should clearly indicate the dates that any
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appeals were filed, as well as the dates and results of those appeals, in any amended complaint.
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Rule 8(a) additionally requires that each complaint contain “a short and plain statement of
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the claim showing the pleader is entitled to relief.” Detailed factual allegations are not required,
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but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory
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statements, do not suffice.” Iqbal, 550 U.S. at 555.
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In this Complaint, it is clear that Plaintiff believes that something was not reviewed
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adequately in previous proceedings. It is unclear, however, how specifically Plaintiff believes that
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the Social Security Administration erred in coming to its decision or which facts the
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Administration neglected to consider. Any amended complaint that Plaintiff files must correct
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these errors.
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Plaintiff should also note that this Court can only review a final decision by the Social
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Security Administration to determine whether: (1) it is supported by substantial evidence; and (2)
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it applied the correct legal standards. Carmickle v. Commissioner, 533 F.3d 1155, 1159 (9th Cir.
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2008). In other words, the Court will not rehear the entirety of Plaintiff‟s case.
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Leave to Amend
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The Court will provide Plaintiff an opportunity to amend the Complaint to fix the issues
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identified above. If Plaintiff chooses to file a First Amended Complaint, it must bear the docket
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number assigned in this case and be labeled “First Amended Complaint.” As a general rule, an
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amended complaint supersedes the original complaint. Lacey v. Maricopa Cnty., 693 F.3d 896
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(9th Cir. 2012) (noting that there may be limited exceptions to this rule on appeal). In other
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words, the amended complaint must be “complete in itself without reference to the prior or
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superseded pleading.” Local Rule 220.
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Order
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For the reasons set forth above, Plaintiff‟s Complaint is DISMISSED WITH LEAVE TO
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AMEND. Plaintiff is instructed to consider the standards set forth in this Order and should only
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file an amended complaint if she believes her claims are cognizable. Any amended complaint
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shall be filed no later than February 23, 2015. Failure to file an amended complaint by the date
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specified will result in dismissal of this action.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated:
January 21, 2015
/s/ Gary S. Austin
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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