determining ALJ failed in his duty to develop the record where the record did 13 ||not contain any opinion by a treating or examining physician regarding the claimant's 14 || RFC
How later courts described this case
- determining ALJ failed in his duty to develop the record where the record did 13 ||not contain any opinion by a treating or examining physician regarding the claimant's 14 || RFC
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
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8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
9 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
10
11 EDWARD DUFFY O'NEIL, Case No.: 20-CV-1551-WVG
12 Plaintiff,
ORDER ON JOINT MOTION FOR
13 v. JUDICIAL REVIEW
14 KILOLO KIJAKAZI, Acting
Commissioner of Social Security,
15
Defendant.
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19 Pending before the Court is Edward Duffy O’Neil (“Plaintiff”) and Kilolo Kijakazi,
20 Acting Commissioner of Social Security’s (“Defendant” or “Commissioner”) Joint Motion
21 for Judicial Review (“Joint Motion”). (Doc. No. 19.) The Parties respectively move for
22 summary judgment on Plaintiff’s claims arising under Titles II and XVI of the Social
23 Security Act. Having reviewed the Parties’ Joint Motion and the underlying administrative
24 record (“AR”), the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment, DENIES
25 Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, and elaborates below.
26 / / /
27 / / /
28 / / /
1 I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY
2 On June 30, 2016, Plaintiff filed an application for disability insurance benefits
3 under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act. (AR 401-4017.) Plaintiff alleged he
4 suffered from diabetes, arthritis, knee replacements, and chronic pain in his knee,
5 shoulders, hips, and back, as well as depression and anxiety. (AR 401-417; 455.) According
6 to Plaintiff, his physical and mental health conditions rendered him unable to work since
7 December 1, 2015. (AR 406.) The Commissioner denied Plaintiff’s application twice,
8 initially on July 25, 2016, and upon reconsideration on June 5, 2018. (AR 340; 346-347.)
9 On August 1, 2018, Plaintiff requested a hearing before an Administrative Law
10 Judge (“ALJ”). (AR 353-354.) On May 17, 2019, Plaintiff, his attorney, Leonard
11 Schneider, and a neutral vocational expert, Sonia L. Peterson, appeared before ALJ Kevin
12 W. Messer for a hearing on Plaintiff’s application. (AR 264.) Plaintiff and the vocational
13 expert testified at the hearing. (AR 264-310.) On August 14, 2019, ALJ Messer issued a
14 Notice of Decision (“Decision”), finding Plaintiff was not disabled since December 1,
15 2015. (AR 90-103.) On such basis, ALJ Messer denied Plaintiff’s application for disability
16 insurance benefits. (Id.)
17 On October 7, 2019, Plaintiff requested that the Appeals Council review ALJ
18 Messer’s Decision. (AR 401-405.) On June 23, 2020, the Appeals Council denied
19 Plaintiff’s request and, upon doing so, finalized the Commissioner’s adverse Decision. (AR
20 1-7.) On August 11, 2020, Plaintiff initiated this civil action and filed the operative
21 Complaint. (Doc. No. 1.) On January 13, 2022, the Parties filed the Joint Motion for
22 Judicial Review that is now ripe for the Court’s adjudication. (Doc. No. 19.)
23 II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
24 a. Plaintiff’s Mental Condition
25 Plaintiff is 63 years old and alleges that he suffers from both physical and mental
26 health conditions. For purposes of resolving the Parties’ Joint Motion, Plaintiff’s mental
27 health condition is relevant.
28 / / /
1 In or around July 2013, Plaintiff began seeing Kefah Dwabe, M.D., (“Dr. Dwabe”),
2 a primary treating physician, for primary care. (AR 937.) In pertinent part, Dr. Dwabe
3 screened Plaintiff for major depression and, in September 2014, prescribed Paxil, an anti-
4 depressant that Plaintiff continues to take. (AR 554, 556-567.) Since 2015, Jeffrey A.
5 Sandler, M.D., (“Dr. Sandler”), an endocrinologist, and Hassan Kafri, M.D., (“Dr. Kafri”),
6 a cardiologist, also treated Plaintiff and coordinated Plaintiff’s care with Dr. Dwabe. In
7 their assessments of Plaintiff, Dr. Sandler and Dr. Kafri documented Plaintiff’s depressive
8 condition. (AR 590, 771-773, 779). More recently, on April 17, 2019, Dr. Dwabe affirmed
9 his previous diagnosis and found Plaintiff continued to suffer from major depression as
10 well as moderate anxiety and insomnia. (AR 905.) On May 30, 2019, Dr. Dwabe issued a
11 Physical Residual Functional Capacity Questionnaire indicating that Plaintiff’s depression
12 and anxiety affected Plaintiff’s physical condition, which, in turn, imposed functional
13 limitations on Plaintiff. (AR 934-937.)
14 On June 5, 2018, following Plaintiff’s request for reconsideration, Preston Davis,
15 Psy. D., (“Dr. Davis”), a state agency psychological medical consultant, evaluated
16 Plaintiff’s medical file. (AR 325-339.) In doing so, Dr. Davis concluded that the record
17 contained “insufficient evidence” to determine or establish any severe mental impairment.
18 (AR 330.) Dr. Davis elaborated there was insufficient evidence to assess Plaintiff’s
19 functional limitations of (1) understanding, remembering, or applying information; (2)
20 interacting with others; (3) concentrating, persisting, or maintaining pace; and (4) adapting
21 and managing oneself. (AR 331.)
22 In December 2018, Plaintiff underwent a psychological evaluation with Barbara
23 Seldin, Ph.D., (“Dr. Seldin”), a clinical psychologist. (AR 849-863.) During his evaluation,
24 Plaintiff “expressed frustration and bitterness about his inability to work” and explained he
25 was unable to work due to orthopedic issues and chronic pain, rather than any
26 psychological disturbances. (AR 862.) Dr. Seldin observed Plaintiff was “anxious and
27 bitter” but found his affect to be “somewhat labile.” (Id.) Further, Dr. Seldin noted Plaintiff
28 was “friendly” and “joked a lot during the interview.” (AR 861-863.) Dr. Seldin also found
1 Plaintiff’s “thought process [was] logical and goal directed,” characterized his judgment as
2 “adequate,” and determined his intelligence was “in the average range.” (AR 861.)
3 Additionally, Plaintiff did not report and Dr. Seldin did not observe any perceptual
4 disturbances. (Id.)
5 Dr. Seldin ultimately diagnosed Plaintiff with recurrent major depressive disorder
6 with mild anxious distress. (AR 863.) In doing so, Dr. Seldin outlined a plan of treatment
7 for Plaintiff, which included cognitive behavioral therapy (“CBT”) for major depression
8 and chronic pain. (AR 863.) Plaintiff visited Dr. Seldin on eight occasions following his
9 intake assessment; however, the record does not show any further mental health treatment
10 after March 29, 2019. (AR 849-860.)
11 b. ALJ Messer’s Notice of Decision
12 In his August 14, 2019 Notice of Decision, ALJ Messer made seven findings of fact
13 and conclusions of law:
14 (1) Plaintiff met the insured status requirements of the Social Security Act through
15 December 31, 2017;
16 (2) Plaintiff was not engaged in substantial gainful activity since December 1, 2015;
17 (3) Plaintiff had severe impairments consisting of: bilateral shoulder impingement
18 syndrome; status-post right house and bicep surgery in 2018; osteoarthritis of
19 bilateral knee; status-post bilateral total knee replacement surgery in 2016; diabetes
20 mellitus type II; diabetic peripheral neuropathy; obesity; and coronary artery disease;
21 (4) Plaintiff did not have an impairment or combination thereof that met or medically
22 equaled the severity of the any listed impairments in 20 C.F.R. Part 404(P),
23 Appendix 1;
24 (5) Plaintiff had the residual functional capacity (“RFC”) to perform sedentary work as
25 defined in 20 C.F.R. 404.1567(a) and 416.967(a) except he could lift and/or carry
26 20 pounds occasionally and 10 pounds frequently; could never climb ramps, stairs,
27 ladders, ropes, and scaffolds; could occasionally perform balancing, stopping, and
28 kneeling, but never perform crouching and crawling; could not operate foot controls
1 with the right lower extremity; was limited to frequent bilateral reaching overhead;
2 and needed to avoid concentrated exposure to hazards such as operational control of
3 moving machinery and unprotected heights;
4 (6) Plaintiff could perform past relevant work as a mortgage clerk and public relations
5 representative. Such work did not require the performance of work-related activities
6 precluded by Plaintiff’s RFC as set forth above; and
7 (7) Plaintiff had not been under a disability, as defined in the Social Security Act, from
8 December 1, 2015 through August 14, 2019.
9 In relevant part, ALJ Messer determined Plaintiff’s “medically determinable mental
10 impairment of major depressive order, recurrent with mild anxious distress, [did] not cause
11 more than minimal limitation in [Plaintiff’s] ability to perform basic mental work activities
12 and [was] therefore non-severe.” (AR 96.) ALJ Messer considered the four broad areas of
13 mental functioning as set forth in the disability regulations for evaluating mental disorders
14 and in the Listing of Impairments, citing 20 C.F.R. Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1,
15 specifically the ability to (1) understand, remember, or apply information; (2) interact with
16 others; (3) concentrate, persist, or maintain pace; and (4) adapt or manage oneself. (Id.) As
17 to the first category, ALJ Messer found no limitation. ALJ Messer found mild limitations
18 as to the remaining categories. (Id.)
19 In so finding, ALJ Messer explained Plaintiff’s treatment records failed to reflect
20 “any history of formal mental health treatment until December of 2018,” when Plaintiff
21 sought a psychological evaluation from and treatment by Dr. Barbara Seldin, a clinical
22 psychologist. (AR 96.) ALJ Messer noted Plaintiff’s disclosure to Dr. Seldin he had taken
23 Paxil for anxiety and undergone a brief course of psychiatric counseling following his
24 wife’s death years ago in 2009. (Id.) ALJ Messer also highlighted Plaintiff’s admission to
25 Dr. Seldin that he had not worked since 2017 due to orthopedic issues and chronic pain,
26 rather than psychological symptoms. (Id.) ALJ Messer additionally noted Plaintiff was
27 “friendly,” “joked a lot during the interview,” and “other findings were unremarkable.”
28 (Id.) Dr. Seldin’s records from Plaintiff’s visit also indicated Plaintiff “resisted medication
1 consultation.” (Id.) ALJ Messer further added, while Plaintiff “had some mood
2 abnormalities based on the brief notes from Dr. Seldin, there [was] no evidence of
3 psychosis or significant cognitive decline” or any “worsening of depressive symptoms that
4 required a higher level of care such as hospitalization or inpatient services.” (AR 96-97.)
5 Additionally, ALJ Messer highlighted that the record revealed “no further outpatient
6 services with Dr. Seldin after March of 2019.” (Id.)
7 During the May 17, 2019 hearing before ALJ Messer, Plaintiff testified “he remained
8 able to perform basic activities of daily living to the extent that his physical conditions
9 permitted,” including “the ability to do chores, prepare meals, drive a car, shop in stores,
10 pay bills, handle financial accounts, read, attend [Alcoholics Anonymous] meetings, and
11 stay in contact with friends.” (AR 97.) Based on Plaintiff’s testimony, ALJ Messer
12 determined “these activities convey[ed] an adequate range of activities of daily living from
13 a mental health perspective and [were] not inconsistent with no more than mild functional
14 limitations… particularly in light of [Plaintiff’s] limited history of mental health treatment
15 to date.” (Id.) ALJ Messer further noted the record lacked any medical opinions
16 demonstrating Plaintiff was unable to work or had significant limitations due to his
17 depressive disorder. (Id.) Accordingly, ALJ Messer concluded, “based on the evidence as
18 a whole at the hearing level,” Plaintiff’s alleged disabling mental health condition was
19 “unpersuasive and inconsistent with the available clinical evidence.” (Id.) Based on his
20 assessment of Plaintiff’s RFC, ALJ Messer further concluded Plaintiff could perform his
21 past relevant work as a mortgage clerk and a public relations representative as well as other
22 work that existed in sufficient numbers throughout the national economy.
23 III. LEGAL STANDARD
24 Section 405(g) of the Social Security Act allows unsuccessful applicants to seek
25 judicial review of the Commissioner’s final decision. 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). The scope of
26 judicial review is limited, and the denial of benefits will not be disturbed if it is supported
27 by substantial evidence in the record and contains no legal error. Id.; Molina v. Astrue, 674
28 F.3d 1104, 1110 (9th Cir. 2012). “Substantial evidence means more than a mere scintilla,
1 but less than a preponderance. It means such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might
2 accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Revels v. Berryhill, 874 F.3d 648, 654 (9th
3 Cir. 2017) (quoting Desrosiers v. Sec’y Health & Human Servs., 846 F.2d 573, 576 (9th
4 Cir. 1988)); Richardson v. Perales, 402 U.S. 389, 401 (1971). “[W]hatever the meaning of
5 ‘substantial’ in other contexts, the threshold for such evidentiary sufficiency is not high.”
6 Biestek v. Berryhill, 139 S. Ct. 1148, 1154 (2019).).
7 Further, where the evidence is susceptible to more than one rational interpretation,
8 an ALJ’s decision must be upheld. Tommasetti v. Astrue, 533 F.3d 1035, 1038 (9th Cir.
9 2008). This includes deferring to an ALJ’s credibility determinations and resolutions of
10 evidentiary conflicts. See Lewis v. Apfel, 236 F.3d 503, 509 (9th Cir. 2001). However, even
11 if the reviewing court finds that substantial evidence supports an ALJ’s conclusions, the
12 court may set aside the decision if the ALJ failed to apply the proper legal standards in
13 weighing the evidence and reaching his decision. See Batson v. Comm’r Soc. Sec. Admin.,
14 359 F.3d 1190, 1193 (9th Cir. 2004). Concurrently, reversal is not warranted where the
15 ALJ’s error is harmless. Molina v. Astrue, 674 F.3d 1104, 1111 (9th Cir. 2012), superseded
16 by regulation on other grounds, as recognized in Sweets v. Kijakazi, 855 F. App’x 325, 326
17 (9th Cir. 2021).
18 IV. DISCUSSION
19 The sole issue before the Court is whether substantial evidence supports ALJ
20 Messer’s finding that Plaintiff suffered from a non-severe mental impairment. Plaintiff
21 argues ALJ Messer erred by failing to further develop the record in light of the dearth of
22 medical evidence surrounding how Plaintiff’s mental health condition impacted his ability
23 to perform work-related activities. Defendant wholly disagrees with Plaintiff. Defendant
24 counters that Plaintiff failed to meet his threshold burden to establish that he suffered from
25 a medically severe impairment. Importantly, the Parties do not dispute that ALJ Messer
26 declined to develop the record as to Plaintiff’s mental health condition. Accordingly, the
27 thrust of the Parties’ dispute on summary judgment turns on what circumstances, if any,
28 triggered ALJ Messer’s duty to develop the record.
1 At all times, a claimant bears the burden to prove he is disabled and to supplement
2 the record with additional medical source opinions in support of his claim. See 42 U.S.C.
3 § 423(d)(5) (Supp.2001) (“An individual shall not be considered to be under a disability
4 unless he furnishes such medical and other evidence of the existence thereof as the
5 Secretary may require”); Tidwell v. Apfel, 161 F.3d 599, 601 (9th Cir. 1999); 20 C.F.R. §
6 404.1512(a); see Sherri Lashawn K. v. Kijakazi, 2021 WL 4081571, at *4 (S.D. Cal. Sept.
7 8, 2021), report and recommendation adopted sub nom. Sherri K. v. Kijakazi, 2021 WL
8 7448534 (S.D. Cal. Oct. 1, 2021) (citing same). The Code of Federal Regulations provides:
9 You have to prove to us that you are blind or disabled. Therefore, you must bring
to our attention everything that shows that you are blind or disabled. This means
10
that you must furnish medical and other evidence that we can use to reach
11 conclusions about your medical impairments(s) and, if material to the
determination of whether you are blind or disabled, its effect on your ability to
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work on a sustained basis. We will consider only impairment(s) you say you have
13 or about which we receive evidence.
14
20 C.F.R. § 404.1512(a) (2000); accord 20 C.F.R. § 404.1512(c) (2000) (“You must
15
provide medical evidence showing that you have impairment(s) and how severe it is during
16
the time you say you are disabled”).
17
Under the regulations, a mental impairment is severe when it poses a significant
18
limitation to an individual’s “mental ability to perform basic work activities.” 20 C.F.R. §§
19
404.1520(c); 404.1522(a). Basic work activities are “abilities and aptitudes necessary to do
20
most jobs,” such as understanding and carrying out simple instructions, responding
21
appropriately to supervision, and handling changes in a routine work setting. 20 C.F.R. §
22
404.1522(b). "An ALJ may find that a claimant lacks a medically severe impairment or
23
combination of impairments only when his conclusion is 'clearly established by medical
24
evidence.'" Webb v. Barnhart, 433 F.3d 683, 687 (9th Cir. 2005). Where the medical
25
evidence is ambiguous or inadequate, the ALJ has a duty to develop the record further.
26
Mayes v. Massanari, 276 F.3d 453, 459–60 (9th Cir. 2001).
27
/ / /
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1 As a foundational matter, the Court finds the record ALJ Messer evaluated to prepare
2 and issue his Decision was not scant. Indeed, Plaintiff’s work history, medical files as
3 maintained by numerous physicians’ offices, and testimony at the May 17, 2019 Hearing
4 provided meaningful data points for ALJ Messer’s assessment of Plaintiff’s residual
5 functional capacity (“RFC”). But inheriting even a robust record is not synonymous with
6 having sufficient evidence to make a sound determination regarding Plaintiff’s disability
7 status. The Court is particularly struck by the lack of any opinion by a treating or examining
8 physician that assessed how Plaintiff’s mental impairment affected his functional
9 limitations. Indeed, none appear to exist, and none informed ALJ Messer’s Decision.
10 Notably, ALJ Messer anchored his assessment of the four areas of Plaintiff's
11 functional limitations based on Plaintiff's lay statements and nothing more: "The claimant
12 endorsed depression associated with his pain symptoms and related functional limitations."
13 (AR 96.) At no time did ALJ Messer cite to any objective evidence that contained a medical
14 assessment of Plaintiff's functional limitations. ALJ Messer instead relied upon Plaintiff's
15 testimony and Dr. Seldin’s assessment, which entirely withheld comment on Plaintiff’s
16 functional limitations, to find Plaintiff was not disabled. Further, ALJ Messer assigned
17 partial weight to Dr. Dwabe's RFC assessment of Plaintiff's functional limitations as they
18 related to Plaintiff's physical condition but did not consider Dr. Dwabe’s assessment of
19 Plaintiff’s mental condition to any extent. (AR 102.) ALJ Messer also neglected to address
20 Dr. Davis’ comment that the medical record was inadequate such that Dr. Davis could not
21 conclusively assess Plaintiff’s functional limitations.
22 For these reasons, the Court holds that ALJ Messer's conclusions about Plaintiff's
23 functional limitations and resulting finding of non-disability were premature and
24 attributable to error. ALJ Messer's own observation that the record lacked any medical
25 opinions demonstrating Plaintiff had any significant limitations due to his depressive
26 disorder should have signaled that his duty to develop the record had been triggered. ALJ
27 Messer evidently missed the signal and instead substituted his lay understanding of Dr.
28 Seldin's medical notes for a medical opinion. Ninth Circuit precedent makes clear an ALJ
1 is “not qualified to interpret raw medical data” and should not make his own “exploration
2 and assessment” as to a claimant’s impairments. Day v. Weinberger, 522 F.2d 1154, 1156
3 (9th Cir. 1975); Nguyen v. Chater, 172 F.3d 31, 35 (1st Cir. 1999). Without a state agency
4 physician or other qualified expert examination of Plaintiff’s mental impairment, ALJ
5 Messer engaged in his own fact-finding without having objective evidence of Plaintiff’s
6 functional limitations in light of his mental impairment. Wheat v. Berryhill, 2018 WL
7 3870055, at *3 (S.D. Cal. Aug. 14, 2018), report and recommendation adopted, 2018 WL
8 4328219 (S.D. Cal. Sept. 11, 2018) (holding that an ALJ may not substitute his layperson
9 personal observations of claimant for the opinions of medical experts, including, but not
10 limited to, a treating physician); De Gutierrez v. Saul, 2020 WL 5701019, at *6 (E.D. Cal.
11 Sep. 24, 2020) (“Without a medical opinion to support the conclusion that Plaintiff was
12 able to perform medium work… and was limited to simple routine tasks, the ALJ's RFC
13 lacks the support of substantial evidence.”); Goolsby v. Berryhill, 2017 WL 1090162, at *8
14 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 22, 2017) (ALJ erred in including “simple routine tasks” in RFC when the
15 medical record did not contain medical opinions supporting this limitation).
16 The Court looks to precedent in further finding the lack of clarity in the medical
17 evidence triggered ALJ Messer’s duty to develop the record. McAnally v. Berryhill, 2020
18 WL 1443734, at *7 (S.D. Cal. Mar. 25, 2020) (holding ALJ’s RFC determination was not
19 supported by substantial evidence because “in the absence of a medical opinion interpreting
20 the extent of Plaintiff's mental impairment, there [was] an insufficient basis to conclude
21 that he [was] limited to ‘simple, routine, and repetitive tasks’ or, on the other hand, that
22 ‘standard industry work breaks every two hours’ [were] sufficient to accommodate his
23 impairment”); French v. Kijakazi, 2022 WL 3362276, at *7 (S.D. Cal. Aug. 15, 2022)
24 (finding error where “the ALJ did not identify any expert or doctor who examined Plaintiff
25 or reviewed her medical records and opined that Plaintiff was capable of performing simple
26 work”); Struck v. Astrue, 247 F. App'x 84, 86–87 (9th Cir. 2007) (stating “we cannot
27 conclude that [the ALJ’s failure to develop the record] was harmless” where a medical
28 expert testified additional medical records would be “of assistance” in assessing a
1 claimant’s functional capacity and limiting her opinion on same in light of the absence of
2 such records); Russell C. v. Saul, 2021 WL 1116034, at *6 (S.D. Cal. Mar. 24, 2021)
3 (emphasizing “an inference of improved functioning is especially cautioned where ‘no
4 doctor or other medical expert has opined, on the basis of a full review of all relevant
5 records, that a mental health patient is capable of working or is prepared to return to
6 work.’”).
7 ALJ Messer’s Decision ignored Dr. Davis’ mention of an incomplete record and did
8 not opine on Dr. Dwabe’s assessment of Plaintiff’s mental impairment and functional
9 limitations. Instead, ALJ Messer exclusively relied on Plaintiff’s testimony about his own
10 limitations and Dr. Seldin’s notes, which did not address functional limitations to any
11 degree, to reach the ultimate conclusions on Plaintiff’s functional limitations. Without
12 supporting medical evidence, ALJ Messer explained in his Decision “these activities
13 convey[ed] an adequate range of activities of daily living from a mental health perspective
14 and [were] not inconsistent with no more than mild functional limitations… particularly in
15 light of [Plaintiff’s] limited history of mental health treatment to date.” (Id.) Not so. As
16 ALJ Messer observed, the record was void of medical opinions assessing Plaintiff’s
17 limitations in connection with his mental condition, specifically the extent of Plaintiff’s
18 ability to perform work-related activities in light of his depressive disorder. As discussed,
19 this circumstance called upon ALJ Messer to further develop the record. Yet he did not.
20 Accordingly, the Court finds there was a lack of substantial evidence underlying ALJ
21 Messer’s Decision and ultimate finding of Plaintiff’s non-disability.
22 Notably, there were a variety of tools at ALJ Messer’s disposal that would have
23 remedied the record’s inadequacy. For example, ALJ Messer could have (1) ordered an
24 updated consultative examination; (2) called a medical expert to testify at the hearing; or
25 (3) remanded the matter back to the state agency to make a new determination with the
26 updated medical evidence. 20 C.F.R. 404.1517; 20 C.F.R. 404.1527(e)(2)(iii); 20 C.F.R.
27 416.1448(c)(2). ALJ Messer declined to do so and thus risked opining on Plaintiff’s
28 application without the benefit of a comprehensive medical record. As discussed, the risk
1 || was an error, and the error was not harmless. Shaneena W-M vy. Berryhill, 2019 WL
2 4193416, at *8 (S.D. Cal. Sept. 4, 2019), report and recommendation adopted sub nom.
3 || Williams-McGloster v. Berryhill, 2019 WL 4688798 (S.D. Cal. Sept. 25, 2019) (concluding
4 ALJ's failure to either follow up with plaintiff's mental health treating doctors or order
5 ||a consultative mental examination in this instance (a) constituted a violation of the ALJ's
6 || special duty to fully and fairly develop the record, and (b) resulted in a decision that was
7 ||not supported by substantial evidence’); Molina v. Berryhill, 2018 WL 6421287, at *4
8 ||(E.D. Cal. Dec. 6, 2018) (holding ALJ's RFC determination was not supported by
9 || substantial evidence when ALJ made her own evaluation of the functional limitations
10 caused by the claimant's diagnosed impairments without further developing the record
11 || through a consultative examination); de Lopez v. Astrue, 643 F. Supp. 2d 1178, 1184 (C.D.
12 ||Cal. 2009) (determining ALJ failed in his duty to develop the record where the record did
13 ||not contain any opinion by a treating or examining physician regarding the claimant's
14 || RFC); Banks v. Barnhart, 434 F. Supp. 2d 800, 805 (C.D. Cal. 2006).
15 Vv. CONCLUSION
16 Based on the foregoing, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff's Motion for Summary
17 ||Judgment and DENIES Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment. Consequently, the
18 ||Court DIRECTS the Clerk of this Court to enter judgment REVERSING ALJ Messer’s
19 || Decision and REMANDING this case for further administrative proceedings to develop
20 record and exhaustively address the errors discussed in this Order.
21 IT IS SO ORDERED.
22 || DATED: September 27, 2022
23 | | Se
24 Hon. William V. Gallo
25 United States Magistrate Judge
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