Filed: Jul. 16, 2004
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT July 16, 2004 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 03-21028 Summary Calendar CAROLYN A. ONISHEA, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus JO ANNE B. BARNHART, COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY, Defendant-Appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. H-01-CV-1829 Before JOLLY, JONES and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Carolyn A. Onishea appeal
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT July 16, 2004 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 03-21028 Summary Calendar CAROLYN A. ONISHEA, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus JO ANNE B. BARNHART, COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY, Defendant-Appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. H-01-CV-1829 Before JOLLY, JONES and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Carolyn A. Onishea appeals..
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United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT July 16, 2004
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 03-21028
Summary Calendar
CAROLYN A. ONISHEA,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
JO ANNE B. BARNHART, COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY,
Defendant-Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. H-01-CV-1829
Before JOLLY, JONES and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Carolyn A. Onishea appeals the district court’s judgment
affirming the Commissioner’s denial of her application for
Supplemental Security Income benefits. This court’s review of the
Commissioner’s decision is limited to determining whether the
Commissioner used proper legal standards to evaluate the evidence
and whether the decision is supported by substantial evidence. See
Newton v. Apfel,
209 F.3d 448, 452 (5th Cir. 2000).
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined
that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent
except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.
R. 47.5.4.
Onishea argues that the administrative law judge (ALJ)
failed to comply with Social Security Ruling (SSR) 96-7p, which
required specific reasons for his determination regarding Onishea’s
credibility. She argues specifically about her subjective
complaints of her leg pain, weakness, and numbness, and about the
side effects of her medications. The ALJ found Onishea’s
subjective complaints to be generally credible but not to the
extent she alleged that she is completely unable to perform any
work activity. The ALJ’s reasons are sufficiently articulated in
his decision to comply with SSR 96-7p. Moreover, the ALJ’s
credibility determination is supported by substantial evidence in
the record as a whole.
Onishea argues that the ALJ failed to assess her residual
functional capacity (RFC) in accordance with Myers v. Apfel,
238
F.3d 617 (5th Cir. 2001), and SSR 96-8p, which require the ALJ to
make a function-by-function analysis of a claimant’s ability to do
work-related activities. The ALJ based his assessment of Onishea’s
RFC, in part, on the state examiner’s function-by-function analysis
of her exertional limitations. Thus, the ALJ employed the legal
standard set forth in Myers and SSR 96-8p in determining Onishea’s
RFC.
Onishea also argues that the ALJ erred in failing to
consider all of her impairments and subjective complaints in
determining her RFC, specifically regarding her obesity, leg
numbness and pain, and medication side effects. This argument is
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unsupported by the record, which shows that the ALJ considered all
of Onishea’s severe medical impairments, including her obesity, and
her subjective complaints of leg pain and numbness and medication
side effects in determining her RFC.
Onishea argues that the ALJ should have assessed the
number of times she requires the use of a restroom in determining
her RFC. The ALJ found that Onishea had the RFC to perform light
work with the need, inter alia, for restroom access. Onishea did
not present any evidence regarding the specific number of times she
needs to use the restroom. She points to no authority requiring
the ALJ to assess sua sponte the frequency of restroom use when
there is no evidence of this in the record.
For the first time on appeal, Onishea argues that the ALJ
was precluded by the doctrine of res judicata from finding that she
could return to her past relevant work as a security guard. Even if
it is assumed that the doctrine applies because the ALJ found that
Onishea could return to her past work as a cashier, Onishea has not
shown that any error affected her substantial rights. Thus, she
has not shown plain error. See United States v. Calverley,
37 F.3d
160, 162-64 (5th Cir. 1994)(en banc).
AFFIRMED.
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