Williams v. Astrue

Filing 16

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiffs Application for Attorneys Fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act is GRANTED. [Doc. 13].IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Commissioner of Social Security shall remit Traci L. Severs atto rneys fees in the amount of $4,243.51, subject to any pre-existing debt that the Plaintiff owes to the United States.IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that costs in the amount of $350.00 shall be remitted to Plaintiff to be paid from the Judgment Fund administered by the United States Treasury. 13 Signed by Magistrate Judge Nannette A. Baker on 4/17/13. (CLA)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
EASTERN DIVISION

BRENDA WILLIAMS,
Plaintiff,
v.
MICHAEL J. ASTRUE,
Commissioner of Social Security,
Defendant.

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Case No. 4:11-CV-1803 NAB

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff’s Application for Attorney’s Fees under the
Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412 (“EAJA”). Defendant consents to an award of
fees to Plaintiff in the amount requested. The Court will grant Plaintiff’s motion.
I.

Factual and Procedural Background
Plaintiff Brenda Williams filed this action, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) for judicial

review of the final decision of Michael Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, (“Defendant”)
denying Plaintiff’s application for a period of disability and disability insurance benefits under
Title II of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § § 401-435. On November 29, 2012, the Court
issued a Memorandum and Order and Judgment and Order of Remand in favor of Plaintiff
pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). [Docs. 11, 12]. Plaintiff filed an Application
for Attorney’s Fees under the EAJA on January 22, 2013.
II.

Standard
“A court shall award to a prevailing party. . . fees and other expenses . . . incurred by that

party in any civil action (other than cases sounding in tort), including proceedings for judicial
review of agency action, brought by or against the United States in any court having jurisdiction

of that action, unless the court finds that the position of the United States was substantially
justified or that special circumstances make an award unjust.” 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A).
A party seeking an award of fees and other expenses must (1) submit to the court an
application for fees and other expenses which shows that the party is a prevailing party and
eligible to receive an award; (2) provide the amount sought, including an itemized statement
from any attorney or expert witness representing or appearing on behalf of the party stating the
actual time expended and the rate at which fees and other expenses were computed; (3) allege
that the position of the United States was not substantially justified, and (4) make the application
within thirty days of final judgment of the action. 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(B). The determination
of whether the position of the United States was substantially justified shall be determined on the
basis of the record made in the action for which the fees are sought. Id. “In sentence four
remand cases, the filing period begins after the final judgment (“affirming, modifying, or
reversing”) is entered by the Court and the appeal period has run so that the judgment is no
longer appealable.”

Melkonyan v. Sullivan, 501 U.S. 89, 102 (1991) (citing 28 U.S.C.

§ 2412(d)(2)(f) (“Final judgment" means a judgment that is final and not appealable.” )).
“It is well-settled that in order to be a prevailing party for EAJA purposes, plaintiff must
have received some, but not necessarily all, of the benefits originally sought in his action.”
Stanfield v. Apfel, 985 F.Supp. 927, 929 (E.D. Mo. 1997) (citing Swedberg v. Bowen, 804 F.2d
432, 434 (8th Cir.1986)). Obtaining a sentence four judgment reversing the Secretary’s denial of
benefits is sufficient to confer prevailing party status. Shalala v. Schaefer, 509 U.S. 292, 302
(1993).

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III.

Discussion
In this action, the Court finds that Plaintiff has demonstrated that an award of attorney’s

fees under the EAJA is appropriate in this matter. First, Plaintiff is a prevailing party in this
action as she has obtained a reversal of the Commissioner’s denial of her application for benefits.
See Final Jud. and Order of Remand of Nov. 29, 2012 [Doc. 11].
Second, Plaintiff’s application for attorney’s fees is reasonable. Plaintiff requests fees in
the amount of $4,243.51 at a rate of $182.91 per hour and includes an itemized statement from
her attorney stating the actual time expended and the rate at which the attorney’s fees were
computed. The EAJA sets a statutory limit on the amount of fees awarded to counsel at $125.00
per hour, “unless the court determines that an increase in the cost of living or a special factor,
such as the limited availability of qualified attorneys for the proceedings involved, justifies a
higher fee.” 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(2)(A)(ii). “In determining a reasonable attorney's fee, the
court will in each case consider the following factors: time and labor required; the difficulty of
questions involved; the skill required to handle the problems presented; the attorney's experience,
ability, and reputation; the benefits resulting to the client from the services; the customary fee for
similar services; the contingency or certainty of compensation; the results obtained; and the
amount involved.” Richardson-Ward v. Astrue, 2009 WL1616701, No. 4:07-CV-1171 JCH at
*1 (E.D. Mo. June 9, 2009). “The decision to increase the hourly rate is at the discretion of the
district court.” Id. at *2. “Where, as here, an EAJA petitioner presents uncontested proof of an
increase in the cost of living sufficient to justify hourly attorney's fees of more than [$125.00]
per hour, enhanced fees should be awarded.” Johnson v. Sullivan, 919 F.2d 503, 505 (8th Cir.
1990).

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Plaintiff’s counsel submitted detailed evidence from the U.S. Department of Labor,
detailing the change in the cost of living from 1986 when the $125.00 hourly limitation became
effective until 2012. Defendant does not contest the hourly rate, the total fee request, or the
number of hours itemized in the invoice. Upon consideration of these facts, the Court finds that
the hourly rate, number of hours expended, and the total fee request is reasonable. Third, as
alleged by Plaintiff, the Court finds that the Defendant’s position was not substantially justified.
Finally, Plaintiff’s application for fees was timely filed. Therefore, the Court will award Plaintiff
$4,243.51 in attorney’s fees.
Plaintiff has submitted an affidavit assigning any award she may receive under the EAJA
to her counsel of record. The EAJA requires that the attorney’s fee award be awarded to the
prevailing party, in this case the Plaintiff, not the Plaintiff’s attorney. Astrue v. Ratcliff, 130
S.Ct. 2521,2525 (2010) (the term “prevailing party” in fee statutes is a “term of art” that refers to
the prevailing litigant) (citing 42 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A)). Awards of attorney fees to the
prevailing party under the EAJA are “subject to [g]overnment offset to satisfy a pre-existing debt
that the litigant owes the United States.” Ratcliff, 130 S. Ct. at 2524. Any award for attorney’s
fees must be subject to any government offset, even if the Plaintiff has assigned her right to the
award to her attorney.

Therefore, the Court will direct the Commissioner to make Plaintiff’s

attorney’s fee award payable to her attorney of record as directed below, subject to any preexisting debt Plaintiff owes to the United States.
Plaintiff also seeks an award of $350.00 for the cost of the filing fee. Defendant does not
contest the award of $350.00 to the Plaintiff.

A judgment for costs, may be awarded to the

prevailing party in any civil action brought by or against the United States or any agency thereof
in any court having jurisdiction of such action. 28 U.S.C. § 2412(a)(1). “A judgment for costs

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when taxed against the United States shall, in an amount established by statute, court rule, or
order, be limited to reimbursing in whole or in part the prevailing party for the costs incurred by
such party in the litigation. Id. Based on the foregoing, the Court will award Plaintiff costs in
the amount of $350.00 for reimbursement of the filing fee.
IV.

Conclusion
Based on the foregoing, the Court will award Plaintiff attorney’s fees and costs in the

amount requested.
Accordingly,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Application for Attorney’s Fees under the
Equal Access to Justice Act is GRANTED. [Doc. 13].
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Commissioner of Social Security shall
remit Traci L. Severs attorney’s fees in the amount of $4,243.51, subject to any pre-existing debt
that the Plaintiff owes to the United States.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that costs in the amount of $350.00 shall be remitted to
Plaintiff to be paid from the Judgment Fund administered by the United States Treasury.
Dated this 17th day of April, 2013.
/s/ Nannette A. Baker
NANNETTE A. BAKER
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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