PAUL G. GARDEPHE, District Judge.
Plaintiff Walter J. Millen filed this action on September 25, 2017, pursuant to Section 405(g) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), seeking review of a final decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration denying his application for disability insurance benefits. (Dkt. No. 1) On October 3, 2017, this action was referred to Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman for a Report and Recommendation ("R&R"). (Dkt. No. 8) On March 29, 2018, Plaintiff filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings. (Dkt. No. 15) On June 1, 2018, Defendant filed a cross-motion for judgment on the pleadings. (Dkt. No. 17)
On January 11, 2019, Judge Pitman issued an R&R recommending that this Court remand the matter to the Commissioner for further proceedings. (R&R (Dkt. No. 20) at 80)
This Court "may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or recommendations" issued by the magistrate judge. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C). "The district judge evaluating a magistrate judge's recommendation may adopt those portions of the recommendation, without further review, where no specific objection is made, as long as they are not clearly erroneous."
Having conducted a review of the 82-page R&R, the Court finds that the R&R is not clearly erroneous and, in fact, is thorough, well-reasoned, and in conformity with the law.
Judge Pitman recommends that the case be remanded to the Commissioner because, at step three of the five-part disability analysis — in which the ALJ must determine whether any of plaintiff's impairments meet one of the listings in Appendix 1 of the regulations — "[t]he ALJ provided no explanation . . . as to why plaintiff did not meet Section 1.04[, one of the listings in Appendix 1,] and did not discuss any specific medical evidence in the record." (R&R (Dkt. No. 20) at 65) "[R]emand is appropriate where there is insufficient uncontradicted evidence in the record to support the ALJ's step three conclusion" and the ALJ has not provided a rationale for why plaintiff did not meet a listing.
Here, Judge Pitman finds that the ALJ did not provide adequate reasoning and a rationale for why Plaintiff's impairment does not meet the requirements for listing 1.04A. (R&R (Dkt. No. 20) at 70) In concluding that Plaintiff's impairment does not meet these requirements, the ALJ states:
(A.R.
In his detailed R&R, Judge Pitman notes that there is evidence that Plaintiff's symptoms match those set forth in Section 1.04(A). For example, nine of seventeen treating physicians diagnosed Plaintiff with radiculopathy or suspected nerve root impingement or inflammation (A.R. 345, 414, 416, 419, 426, 462-63, 601-02, 637, 669, 679-80, 683), and numerous diagnostic tests indicate that Plaintiff has nerve root compression (A.R. 416, 419, 469-71, 479, 679-80, 686, 688). There is also evidence of (1) movement restriction in Plaintiff's cervical and lumbar spine (A.R. 377, 380, 390, 409, 440, 475, 518, 533, 584, 599, 669, 673, 679, 695, 710); (2) motor loss secondary to nerve root compression (A.R. 377, 379, 440, 441, 461, 466, 485, 518, 524, 531, 547, 584, 587, 641, 673, 675, 677, 679, 703), and (3) reflex and sensory loss (A.R. 377, 379, 380, 390, 393, 536, 584, 633, 642, 673, 677, 679, 703). Judge Pitman notes that the "ALJ did not explain his reasons for not crediting these opinions and diagnostic tests, nor did he explain why they were insufficient to establish evidence of nerve root compression." (R&R (Dkt. No. 20) at 67-68) Judge Pitman concludes that "this is not a case where the evidence in the record is so uncontradicted or overwhelming as to `relieve the ALJ of his obligation to discuss the potential applicability of Listing 1.04(A), or at the very least, to provide plaintiff with an explanation of his reasoning as to why plaintiff's impairments did not meet [the listing]." (R&R (Dkt. No. 20) at 70 (alteration in original) (citing
Judge Pitman further finds that, at step three of the five-part disability analysis, the ALJ did not adequately explain why he gave "less than controlling weight to [a treating physician's] opinion regarding plaintiffs physical limitations[,] as is ordinarily required by the treating physician rule." (
Here, Judge Pitman concludes that the ALJ "violated the treating physician rule because he did not set forth good reasons for rejecting the opinions of [Plaintiff's treating physician]." (R&R (Dkt. No. 20) at 79) Judge Pitman further finds "that this error was not harmless because it would have changed plaintiff's [residual functional capacity ("RFC")]." (
The Court agrees with Judge Pitman's analysis and recommendations.
For the reasons stated above, the Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation is adopted in its entirety. The case is remanded, and the Clerk of Court is directed to close this case.
SO ORDERED.