Hughes v. Social Security Administration

Filing 25

OPINION AND ORDER by Magistrate Judge Steven P. Shreder granting 24 Motion for Attorney Fees. (adw, Deputy Clerk)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA JANESSA J. HUGHES, Plaintiff, v. NANCY A. BERRYHILL, Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Defendant. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Case No. CIV-16-271-SPS OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING ATTORNEY’S FEES TO THE PLAINTIFF UNDER THE EAJA Plaintiff Janessa J. Hughes was the prevailing party in this action under the Social Security Act. Plaintiff has now filed a Stipulated Motion for Award of Attorney Fees Under the Equal Access to Justice Act [Docket No. 24], indicating that the parties have stipulated to an attorney’s fee in the amount of $5,000.00. Upon review of the record herein, the Court finds that the agreed amount is reasonable and that the Commissioner should be ordered to pay it to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. See 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A) (“Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, a court shall award to a prevailing party other than the United States fees and other expenses, in addition to any costs awarded pursuant to subsection (a), incurred by that party in any civil action (other than cases sounding in tort)[.]”); see also Manning v. Astrue, 510 F.3d 1246, 1251 (10th Cir. 2007) (“The EAJA therefore permits attorney’s fees reimbursement to financially eligible prevailing parties, who make a proper application, and not to their attorneys.”). Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Stipulated Motion for Award of Attorney Fees Under the Equal Access to Justice Act [Docket No. 24] is hereby GRANTED to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if the Plaintiff’s attorney is subsequently awarded any fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 406(b)(1), said attorney shall refund the smaller amount of such fees to the Plaintiff pursuant to Weakley v. Bowen, 803 F.2d 575, 580 (10th Cir. 1986). DATED this 17th day of November, 2017. _____________________________________ STEVEN P. SHREDER UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE -2-

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