District Court, W.D. Washington, 2021

Estrada v. Berryhill

Estrada v. Berryhill
District Court, W.D. Washington · Decided May 26, 2021
Estrada v. Berryhill

Trial Court Opinion

6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 7 AT SEATTLE CINDY M. ESTRADA, CASE NO. C18-5362 RSM 9 Plaintiff, ORDER OF REMAND 10 v. 11 ANDREW M. SAUL, Commissioner of Social Security, Defendant.

14 This matter is before the Court following the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ issuance of the mandate in Plaintiff’s appeal of this Court’s prior orders. Dkt. #28.

16 Plaintiff initiated this action for judicial review, under 42 U.S.C. §§ 405(g) and § 1383(c)(3), of the Commissioner of Social Security’s (the “Commissioner”) final decision denying her application for Title II Disability Insurance Benefits and Title XVI Supplemental Security Income benefits. Dkt. #4. The Honorable Mary Alice Theiler, United States Magistrate Judge, recommended that this Court affirm the decision of the Commissioner. Dkt. #16.

21 Considering Plaintiff’s objections to Judge Theiler’s Report and Recommendation (“R&R”), the Court overruled the objections and adopted the R&R, affirming the Commissioner’s decision.

23 Dkt. #19. Plaintiff appealed. Dkt. #22.

1 On March 31, 2021, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a memorandum decision concluding that administrative review of Plaintiff’s application had not enjoyed the benefit of the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Revels v. Berryhill, 874 F.3d 648 (9th Cir. 2017). The Ninth Circuit characterized Revels as “conclude[ing] that the [administrative law judge (“ALJ”)] erred in rejecting a claimant’s testimony where the ALJ stated that the testimony was ‘undercut by the lack of “objective findings” supporting her claims of severe pain’ because examinations showing mostly normal results ‘are perfectly consistent with debilitating fibromyalgia.’” Dkt. #27 at 2–3 (quoting Revels, 874 F.3d at 666). The Ninth Circuit therefore ordered that the Commissioner’s prior decision be vacated and that the matter be remanded for reconsideration by the ALJ. Id. at 3. The Ninth Circuit’s mandate was issued on May 25, 2021. Dkt. #28.

11 Accordingly, this Court hereby finds and ORDERS that pursuant to sentence six of 42 12 U.S.C. § 405(g), this matter is REMANDED for further administrative proceedings in a manner consistent with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ memorandum decision.

14 Dated this 26th day of May, 2021.

A RICARDO S. MARTINEZ 18 CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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