JAMES D. MOYER, Magistrate Judge.
The plaintiff, Dusty D. Jaggers, filed this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §405(g), seeking judicial review of an administrative decision of the Commissioner of Social Security, who denied her application for supplemental security income benefits. At issue is whether the administrative law judge erred by not fully explaining his reasons for rejecting the opinions of Ms. Jaggers's treating psychiatrist when he determined that Ms. Jaggers retained the residual functional capacity to perform work at all exertional levels.
After reviewing the parties' fact and law summaries and the administrative record, the concludes that the ALJ did not err as a matter of law.
Ms. Jaggers filed an application for disability insurance benefits in March 2009 and alleged she became disabled in January 2003. After her application was denied by the state agency, she requested a hearing with an administrative law judge (an "ALJ"). Following the evidentiary hearing, at which Ms. Jaggers and a vocational expert testified, the ALJ issued an opinion in which he determined that Ms. Jaggers suffers from the severe impairments of bipolar disorder, anxiety, a learning disorder, and borderline intellectual functioning, none of which, either singly or in combination, meet or equal the criteria of any of the mental health impairments listed at 20 C.F.R. Part 404, Subpart P, App. 1. The ALJ further determined that Ms. Jaggers retains the residual functional capacity to perform the full range of work at all exertional levels, with some non-exertional limitations pertaining to her mental health issues.
In making this determination, the ALJ made the following observation:
He also stated that the opinions of Ms. Jaggers's treating psychiatrist, who completed a "check the box" assessment of her work-related functioning, and the opinion of the consultative examiner, were entitled to no more than little weight, because they were "inconsistent with the claimant's history of treatment and with her only mildly abnormal presentation on mental status examination."
Ms. Jaggers argues that these determinations were in error because they are not supported by the evidence in the record and because the ALJ failed to provide adequate explanation for his rejection of her treating psychiatrist's and the consultative examiner's opinions. Specifically, Ms. Jaggers asserts that the exhibits cited by the ALJ (1F-4F, 7F, 10F, 11F and 13F) not only fail to support his conclusion, but contradict them, and that the ALJ's "boilerplate" rejection of the examining and treating mental health professionals' opinions lacked adequate supporting detail.
Although a district court may not try a Social Security appeal de novo, it need not affirm the conclusions of the Commissioner of Social Security if an administrative law judge failed to apply the correct legal standards or made findings of fact unsupported by substantial evidence in the record. 42 U.S.C. § 405(g); see also Jordan v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 548 F.3d 417, 422 (6th Cir. 2008).
The exhibits cited by the ALJ in support of his conclusion that Ms. Jaggers's impairments are not as debilitating as she claims, include Jefferson County Public Schools records (1F), Emergency Department Records from a local hospital (2F), treatment records from the Family Health Center (3F), treatment notes from Ms. Jaggers's treating psychiatrist, Steven Lippmann (7F, 10F, 11F and 13F), and the opinion of the consultative examiner, Jessica Huett, Psy. D. (4F). Ms. Jaggers asserts that there is no "logical bridge" between the ALJ's conclusions regarding the degree of her impairment and the contents of these records. The court disagrees. Ms. Jaggers's school records, which included specific diagnostic testing, indicate that she had the ability to stay on task and was within the average range for speaking, listening, and writing, but suffered from below average math skills.
The treatment records from Ms. Jaggers' Family Health Center doctors do note that she had expressed thoughts of suicide and contain a recommendation during one visit that Ms. Jaggers should undergo inpatient observation, but Ms. Jaggers declined that recommendation, and other records indicate that she had improved with medication. Similarly, the treatment notes from Dr. Lippman and the University of Louisville Psychiatric Group document occasional panic attacks, but they are not anywhere near as frequent as Ms. Jaggers alleges. Moreover, Dr. Lippmann's notes also confirm that Ms. Jaggers's symptoms improve with medication, when she takes it, and consistently note that her appearance is fair to good, her behavior is appropriate, her thoughts are organized, and her speech is normal.
The process of assigning weight to medical opinions in the record begins with a determination whether to assign controlling weight to the opinion of the claimant's treating source. 20 C.F.R. § 416.927(d). When a treating source's opinion is both well supported by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques, and not inconsistent with other substantial evidence in the record, it should receive controlling weight. See Social Security Ruling ("SSR") 96-2p; 20 C.F.R. § 416.927(d)(2); Cole v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 661 F.3d 931, 937 (6
Dr. Lippmann's assessment of Ms. Jaggers's functional limitations
For the foregoing reasons, the court concludes that the final decision of the Commissioner is supported by substantial evidence in the record and finds no basis for reversing the decision of the Commissioner or remanding this case for further proceedings pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).