Opinion

Lujan v. Pacific Maritime Ass'n

  • 165 F.3d 738
  • 99 Daily Journal DAR 731
  • 1999 A.M.C. 747
  • 9 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 59
  • 99 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 609
Court
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Filed
Jan 22, 1999
Status
Published
Author
Weiner
On the bench
Canby, Kozinski, Weiner
Cited by
13 cases
Authority
More cited than 17.8%

The opinion

WEINER, J., District Judge,

concurring:

While I agree with the result reached by Judge Canby, and the “no per se estoppel” principle announced in Johnson v. Oregon, 141 F.3d 1361 (9th Cir.1998), I -write separately to discuss one point.

Judge Canby concludes, based on Johnson , that Lujan’s statement in his application for Social Security disability benefits — that he was “unable to work” — is more readily construed as an assertion that he was eligible for total disability benefits, rather than as an unconditional representation that he was completely disabled for all work-related purposes. Slip op. at 589-90. However, in a Social Security disability case, one attests that he meets a statutory requirement that he has some medically determinable basis for an impairment that prevents him from engaging in any “substantial gainful activity” for a statutory twelve-month period. 42 U.S.C. 423(d)(1). Thus, I would not construe such a statement as narrowly as would Johnson . Nonetheless, I agree that a representation of inability to work for Social Security purposes is not per se inconsistent with a claim of ability to work under ADA, since ADA provides for workplace accommodation while Social Security does not. Given that there was no evidence of a “knowing misrepresentation to or even fraud on the court,” Johnson, 141 F.3d at 1369 (quoting Ryan Operations G.P. v. Santianu-Midwest Lumber Co., 81 F.3d 355, 362-63 (3d Cir.1996)), applying judicial estoppel was therefore not appropriate here.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.