Reynolds v. Berryhill
Filing
24
MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Senior Judge Glen E. Conrad on 6/22/2018. (ck)
CLERK' AT R CE U.S. ST. COURT
S OFFI
DI
OM OKE,
VA
FI
LED
JUN
I Tll UNI
N 'E
TED STATES DI
STRI COURT
CT
FOR THE W ESTERN D I
STRI OF VI NI
CT
RGI A
ROA NO KE DI I ON
V SI
JU
BM
D ousy u
sau
.
KA Y FRAN CES REYN OLD S,
Pl ntf,
ai if
Ci lAc i N o. 1
vi ton
7: 7CV 00
399
M EM O R ANDU M O PI I N
N O
NAN CY A .BERRYH I A ctng
LL, i
Co m i s o rofSoc a Se u iy,
m s i ne
i l c rt
'
By:H on.Gl E.Conrad
en
Seni Unied St esD it i Judge
or t
at
s rct
D ef
endant
.
Pl ntf has fl t s acton chalengi t fnaldeci on oft Com m i si
ai if
ied hi i
l ng he i
si
he
s oner ofSoci
al
Securt denyi pl ntf ' cl m s f di lt i ur
iy
ng ai ifs ai or sabiiy ns ance beneft and suppl ent securt
is
em al
iy
i omeben f u rt Soca Se urt Ac,a a nde 42U. C.jj41 i a 423,a 42
nc
eks nde he il c iy t s me d,
S.
6() nd
nd
U. C.j1 1e s q-rs ci l J iditonoft sc r i puru ntt 42U. C.j405()a
S. 38 t e , epe tvey. urs ci
hi ou ts s a o
S.
g nd
4 U. C.j 1 8 ()3 . Th sc utsrviw i l td t ad tr n t n a .owh te teei
2 S. 3 3 c() i o r' e e s i e o eemiai st eh r h r s
mi
o
s t i evi
ubsantal dence t s
o uppor t Com m i oner' concl on t t pl ntf f l t m eet t
t he
ssi
s
usi ha ai if aied o
he
r r ent f enttem entt beneft undert A c . I s s t i evi nceexi t t fnal
equiem s or il
o
is
he t f uch ubs antàl de
ss, he i
d cii oft Commisone mus b afnne La v. lbrzz 368F. 6 (t Ci.1 )
e son he
si r t e fi d. ws Cee e e,
2d 40 4h r 966.
St ed brety,subs antalevi
at
il
t i
dence has been defned as s r evant evi
i
uch el
dence,consi i t
derng he
r d as a w hol as m i be f
ecor
e,
ght
ound adequa e t suppor a concl on by a r oné e m i
t o
t
usi
eas bl nd.
Rihads v. ae , U. 389 401( 9 )
c r on Perls 402 S. , 1 71.
The pl ntf , K ay Fr
ai if
ances Reynol w as bor on M ar 20, 1961. She event l
ds,
n
ch
ualy
g a t dfo hih s hool ndaloc eedt ye r ofc lge. ( .31 ) M s Re dsha
r duae r m g c a s omplt wo a s ole
Tr 5 . . ynol s
bee empl
n
oyed asat ser hooker sal at
wi t ,
, es lendant cashi ,sandw i m aker and f f w or
,
er
ch
,
ast ood ker.
She was s ilwor ng atTaco Bel on apa tm e basi att tm e oft adm i s r tve heafng on
tl
ki
l
/-i
s he i
he
nit a i
i
Aprl27,201 ( .51. On Ocobe 3,201 M s Re nol fld a i tonsfrdiabiiy
i
6. Tr )
t r
3, . y ds ie pplcai o s l
t
RK
i ur
ns ance beneft and suppl ent s iy 'ncom e benefis. I flng her curent cl m s,M s.
is
em al ecurt i
t n ii
r
ai
Reynol aleged t s becam e di abl f al f m s of s t i gai ul empl ent on
ds l
hat he
s ed or 1 or
ubsantal nf
oym
Augu t l , 20 , due t bi a dior r pos-r u a i sr s di o de , a t nto de i i
s 5
08
o pol r s de , tt a m tc te s s r r te i n- fc t
N
hyper i t di der obses ve- pul ve dior ,degener i arhrii i her s der and
actviy sor ,
si com si
s der
atve t ts n
houl s
l rba k,bones s lf kne pan,a ki y sone . ( .281 31 . Ms.Re dsnow
owe c
pur, et e i nd dne t s1 Tr , 4)
ynol
m ai ai t s hasr ai diabl t t pr enttm e. W ih r pectt herapplcaton f
nt ns hat he
em ned s ed o he es i
t es
o
i i or
.
di lt i ur
sabiiy ns ance beneft , t r d re s t M s. Reynol m et t i ed s at
is he ecor veal hat
ds
he nsur t us
r r ent oft A ctt ough t t r quarer of 2015,but not t eafer. See gener l 42
equiem s he
hr
he hid
t
her t
aly,
U. C.j 41 i a 4 a. Con e enl plitf i e tted t a pei ofdia lt a d
S. j 6() nd 23()
s qu ty, anif s nil o
rod
sbiiy n
diab l y i s r n e be ft o y i s ha e t bls d t a s be a e di a e f r a 1f ms o
s ii n u a c ne is nl f he s sa ihe h t he c m
t
s bl d o 1 or f
s t i gai em pl enton orbef e Sept ber30,2015.
ubsantal nful
oym
or
em
M s Re nol ' a iatons w e e deni upon i talco i er ton a d r co i e a i
. y ds pplc i
r
ed
nii
ns d a i n e ns d r ton.
Shet r
hen equest and r ved a#qnovohe rnga r viw be or a Admi srtveLa J e.
ed
ecei
.
a i nd e e f e n
nitai w udg
.
l a opi on da e Augus 1 201 t La J e a s de e m i d,a t r a pl n t fve s e
n n ni
td
t 9, 6, he w udg l o t r ne fe p yi g he i - t p
s q ntale l tonpr es t tM s Re d i no dia e Se 20C. R.jj404.520a
e ue i vauai oc s,ha . ynols s t s bld. e
F.
1
nd
41 920. Ba e ont eani rcodsfom he j a Tac Bel,heLa J frtr edta
6. 2 s d he r ngs e r r
r ob t o lt w udge is ul h t
M s.Reynol engaged i s t i gai ulactviy durng t t r and f t quarer of 2015,
ds
n ubs antal nf
it
i he hid
ourh
ts
and t t diabiiy i r t ef e ended a t fis sep oft sequentale uaton pr s
hat he s lt nquiy her or
t he r t t
he
i val i
oces
'Plitf fldprorapplc to f dia lt i urnc be ft a s e ntls c iy i om ebe eft,
anif ie i
iains or s biiy ns a e ne is nd upplme a e urt nc
n is
whih w eede e byt sae a nc onFebuar 2 201 Sh di no a alte de sons ma n t m fna
c
r nid he tt ge y
r y 4, 0. e d t ppe h cii , kig he i l
deem i to . TheLa J
tr nains
w udgef
oundnoba i f rrope ngt prordeem i ton ,a c el orpl ntf di not
ss o e ni he i tr nai s nd ouns f ai if d
ak h rt d s . ( .51. Acodn l,te La J d ec n iee pani rq etfr cn urn b n Gt
s e o o o Tr ) c rigy h w u g o sd rd litps e u s o o c re t e e s
f
b gn igo Fe ray2 , 0 0 ted yatrh p e o sd tr n to s ( . 5.
e inn n bu r 5 2 1 ,h a f te rviu eemiain . Tr 1 )
e
2Th p o s r quie t La J get c i r i sq e c , eh r cama t()ie g g di s btnil
e r ce s e r s he w ud o onsde , n e u n e wh te a li n:1 s n a e n u sa t
a
g ifl ci t;2 h sasv r i ar n;()h sa i ar n ta met o e u l terq i me t o altd
anu at y () a e ee mp i t 3 a n mp ime th t es r q as h e ur ns f i e
vi
me
e
s
i ar n'4 cnrtr t h r atee a t r; n ()in twh te sec np rom oh r r i ten to a
mp ime t() a eun o e p s rlv n wok a d 5 f o, eh r h a efr te wok n h ain l
,
e o o . 2 C. R. j 4 4.5 0 a d 41 .2 I ad cso c nb r a h d a a y se i t es q e ta e lai n
c n my 0 F. j 0 1 2 n 69 0. f e ii n a e e c e t n t p n h e u nil vau to
pr e s f rhe e ua i i unn e s r l
oc s , u t r val ton s ec s a y. d.
wih rs c t t tpe id. ( . 1 . Ho ve,t La J
t epe t o ha ro Tr 7)
we r he w udge fund t tt r ha b e
o
ha hee d e n
contnuous lz- ont perods durng w hi t cl m a di not engage i s t i gai ul
i
m h i
i
ch he ai nt d
n ubs antal nf
*
,
a tviy. ( .l ) Ac or n y,t La J gef usd te rmande ofhe d iin on s h
ci t Tr 8 . c digl he w ud oc e h e i r
r ecso
uc
pe i s The La J
rod .
w udge f und t t M s Re ol s s f r f om s ve a s ve e i i n s
o
ha
. yn d ufe s r
e r l e r mpa nne t ,
i udi (cervi and l bar degener i di dieas compr si f act e at L1, obest
ncl ng s cal
um
atve sc s e,
es on r ur
iy,
bi a afci dior , tta mai srs ds de (
polr fe tve s derpos-ru tc te s ior r PTSD) a xit diode ,ndapes lt
, n ey s r r a
ronaiy
dior ,' but t t t e i r ent do not eiher i vi l or i com bi i m ee or
s der'.
ha hes mpaim s
, t
ndi dualy
n
naton,
t
w
hen
me c ly e ua t rquie ns o a lse i ime . ( .1 - 9 . The La Judge t
dial q l he e rme t f itd mpar nt Tr 8 1 )
ass sed M s.Reynol r dualf i capaciy asf l s:
es
ds' esi
unctonal
t
olow
A fer car f consder i of t entr r d, 1 fnd t t
t
e ul
i aton
he ie ecor
i hat he
cl m anthas t r i
ai
he esdualf i
unctonalca t t per or l s t a
paciy o f m es han
f lrng oflgh wor asdei d i 20' F. 40 1 749 a
ul a e i t k
fne n C. R. 4.56 1 nd
41 96 e e :oc aina sar a rmps no ld r,rpesor
6. 7*) xc pt c so l tis nd a ; a des o
s f ds;occasi bal ng,soopi kneelng,cr
caf ol
onal anci t ng,
i
ouchi a no
ng nd
cr w lng;m oder e noi envionm e ;and occasi
a i
at
se
r
nt
onalexpos e t
ur o
extem e col vi a i and w or ace ha ds such as danger
r
d, br tons
kpl
zar
ous
m ovi m achi y butno expos et unpr ect hei s.3 Shecan
ng
ner
ur o
ot ed ght
per or unskil wor at an SVP l or 2 wher t pace of
f m
led
k
e he
pr
oductviy i not di at ext nal out i her contol s
it s
ct ed er
s de
r , uch as
conveyorbels.
t4
( .20 . Gi n s h a rsdu f ton' c pa t a aferc i rng tsi ny fom a
Tr ) ve uc
e i al unci al a ciy, nd t onsdei etmo r
voca i expert t Law Judgedet r i t M s.Reynol r ai ca e ofper or i her
tonal
, he
e m ned hat
ds em ns pabl
f m ng
pa tr lva wor a af s f dwo ke . I t atr tve t La J
s ee nt k s a t oo r r n he le na i ,he w udgef l t ti e n i M s
ouf ha f ve f .
d
Reynol i diabl f pas r e
ds s s ed or t elvantw or s r t ns t capaciy t per or ot w or r es
k, he e ai he
t o f m her k ol
3 çl
çv
ih wok'a d fn di terg lt n ,ç 'ole lt gn mo eta 2 p u d a at wihfe u n
j t ry s eie n h e uai sçn v s i i o r h n 0 o n s t i t rq e t
'
o iv
fn
me
l t go cnylgo oj csweg t! t 1 p u d . 2 C. R. j4 4.5 7b a d41 ,6 ( . Gf heflrn eo
ii r a n f be t ih t o 0 o n s' 0 F. j 0 1 6 () n 69 71 fl ula g f
fn
p
'
$ gl
lghtwo k r quiessa n o wa ki of a on, orat t ofa oxi a ey 6 ho so a z- wor y. Sitng
i
r e r t ndi g r l ng, f nd f o al ppr m t l
ur f n hour kda
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y cu nemi nl ui h e iig i . S 3 1 , 9 3 R
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wok afvt. l mu t r c g le t a tei a ll t wok wl o t n s be i ec mpans
r c i t s be e o nz d h t h n b ly o r t u a y u l c v o lit
y
t
h
d sno ofl l e racnms dla e Se Cr l 76F.da 592. I a a st t C U/ t t
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ra o a l s p re b ter c r ,n al laig Ms Re n l s cnmnf rb n s s Th s te
e s n by u potd y h e od l dudc i
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DATED:Thi M d da o Jme 201
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Se o Unie Stt sDid c J
nlr t d ae s t udge
16
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