Filed: Nov. 06, 2014
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: Case: 14-11780 Date Filed: 11/06/2014 Page: 1 of 3 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ No. 14-11780 Non-Argument Calendar _ D.C. Docket No. 8:12-cv-02589-JSM-MAP RICHARD J. HANBACK, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus COMMISSIONER, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, Defendant-Appellee. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (November 6, 2014) Before JORDAN, FAY, and EDMONDSON, Circuit Judges. Case: 14-11780 Date Fi
Summary: Case: 14-11780 Date Filed: 11/06/2014 Page: 1 of 3 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ No. 14-11780 Non-Argument Calendar _ D.C. Docket No. 8:12-cv-02589-JSM-MAP RICHARD J. HANBACK, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus COMMISSIONER, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, Defendant-Appellee. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (November 6, 2014) Before JORDAN, FAY, and EDMONDSON, Circuit Judges. Case: 14-11780 Date Fil..
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Case: 14-11780 Date Filed: 11/06/2014 Page: 1 of 3
[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________
No. 14-11780
Non-Argument Calendar
________________________
D.C. Docket No. 8:12-cv-02589-JSM-MAP
RICHARD J. HANBACK,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
COMMISSIONER, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION,
Defendant-Appellee.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Middle District of Florida
________________________
(November 6, 2014)
Before JORDAN, FAY, and EDMONDSON, Circuit Judges.
Case: 14-11780 Date Filed: 11/06/2014 Page: 2 of 3
PER CURIAM:
Richard John Hanback appeals the district court’s order affirming the ALJ’s
denial of SSI, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1383(c)(3).
The ALJ did not err by assigning “some weight” to the opinion of a non-
examining physician because the non-examining physician was the only medical
source to opine directly on Hanback’s physical residual functional capacity
(“RFC”) and that physician’s opinion was consistent with the objective medical
evidence of Hanback’s treating and examining physicians.
Furthermore, the ALJ did not err by failing to state explicitly the weight
given to the opinion of an examining physician because (1) the ALJ repeatedly
referenced that physician’s opinion in making the RFC assessment, (2) the RFC
conclusion was entirely consistent with that physician’s opinion, and (3) the ALJ
relied on that physician’s opinion to discredit Hanback’s subjective testimony of
his symptoms and the limiting effects of his impairments. Even if the ALJ erred
by failing to state the definite weight he accorded that physician’s opinion, the
potential error was harmless.
About the lay opinion evidence, the ALJ gave sufficient consideration to the
third-party function report completed by Hanback’s friend; and the ALJ’s rejection
of the report is supported by substantial evidence.
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Case: 14-11780 Date Filed: 11/06/2014 Page: 3 of 3
Moreover, the ALJ’s hypothetical questions to the vocational expert were
not incomplete because the questions were consistent with the RFC assessment and
fully incorporated the limitations in the RFC assessment; the ALJ was unrequired
to instruct the vocational expert to assume conditions that the ALJ did not find to
exist based on the evidence in the record.
AFFIRMED.
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