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Gautreau v. Berryhill

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
Apr 21, 2017
No. 16-1628 (4th Cir. Apr. 21, 2017)

Summary

finding the VE's testimony provided substantial evidence to support the ALJ's decision where the VE testified that there was a conflict between the DOT and her testimony for a position she identified but also "testified that she drastically reduced the number of available . . . positions . . . to account for the limits imposed by [the claimant's RFC]"

Summary of this case from Tonette J. v. Berryhill

Opinion

No. 16-1628

04-21-2017

ERIC MATTHEW GAUTREAU, Plaintiff - Appellant, v. NANCY A. BERRYHILL, Acting Commissioner, Social Security Administration, Defendant - Appellee.

John O. Goss, GOSS AND FENTRESS, PLC, Norfolk, Virginia, for Appellant. Nora Koch, Regional Chief Counsel, Taryn Jasner, Supervisory Attorney, Gregg W. Marsano, Assistant Regional Counsel, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney, Virginia L. Van Valkenburg, Assistant United States Attorney, Norfolk, Virginia, for Appellee.


UNPUBLISHED

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Norfolk. Rebecca Beach Smith, Chief District Judge. (2:15-cv-00081-RBS-DEM) Before NIEMEYER, MOTZ, and TRAXLER, Circuit Judges. Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion. John O. Goss, GOSS AND FENTRESS, PLC, Norfolk, Virginia, for Appellant. Nora Koch, Regional Chief Counsel, Taryn Jasner, Supervisory Attorney, Gregg W. Marsano, Assistant Regional Counsel, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney, Virginia L. Van Valkenburg, Assistant United States Attorney, Norfolk, Virginia, for Appellee. Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. PER CURIAM:

Eric Matthew Gautreau appeals the district court's order adopting the magistrate judge's recommendation and affirming the Commissioner's denial of Gautreau's application for disability benefits. Our review of the Commissioner's determination is limited to evaluating whether the findings are supported by substantial evidence and whether the correct law was applied. Mascio v. Colvin, 780 F.3d 632, 634 (4th Cir. 2015). "Substantial evidence is such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion." Johnson v. Barnhart, 434 F.3d 650, 653 (4th Cir. 2005) (internal quotation marks omitted). We do not reweigh evidence or make credibility determinations in evaluating whether a decision is supported by substantial evidence; "[w]here conflicting evidence allows reasonable minds to differ as to whether a claimant is disabled," we defer to the Commissioner's decision. Id. (internal quotation marks omitted).

Against this framework, we have thoroughly reviewed the parties' briefs, the administrative record, and the joint appendix, and we discern no reversible error. Accordingly, we affirm for the reasons stated by the district court. Gautreau v. Colvin, No. 2:15-cv-00081-RBS-DEM (E.D. Va. filed Mar. 31, 2016; entered Apr. 1, 2016). We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED


Summaries of

Gautreau v. Berryhill

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
Apr 21, 2017
No. 16-1628 (4th Cir. Apr. 21, 2017)

finding the VE's testimony provided substantial evidence to support the ALJ's decision where the VE testified that there was a conflict between the DOT and her testimony for a position she identified but also "testified that she drastically reduced the number of available . . . positions . . . to account for the limits imposed by [the claimant's RFC]"

Summary of this case from Tonette J. v. Berryhill
Case details for

Gautreau v. Berryhill

Case Details

Full title:ERIC MATTHEW GAUTREAU, Plaintiff - Appellant, v. NANCY A. BERRYHILL…

Court:UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

Date published: Apr 21, 2017

Citations

No. 16-1628 (4th Cir. Apr. 21, 2017)

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This credibility determination is entitled to deference. See Gautreau v. Berryhill, No. 16-1628, 685 F. App'x…

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(noting resolution of the conflict would involve testimony from the VE as to specific numbers of positions…