Loveless v. Colvin

Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Social Security
Citation
Case Number: 
No. 15-2235
Decision Date: 
January 13, 2016
Federal District: 
N.D. Ind., Hammond Div.
Holding: 
Affirmed

Record contained sufficient evidence to support ALJ’s denial of claimant’s application for Social Security disability benefits, even though claimant alleged that his shoulder impairment, diabetes and pancreatitis prevented him from working. While record showed that claimant had 10 pound lifting restriction in dominant arm and had limitations in standing and sitting, VE expert determined that claimant could perform certain retail jobs. Moreover, ALJ could discount contrary opinion of treating physician, where physician’s opinion did not square with claimant’s testimony regarding his daily activities, his routine and conservative medical treatment, as well as his earlier reports to physicians that he was experiencing only minimal pain. Fact that ALJ used agency’s “standard boilerplate” language when making credibility finding did not require remand, where ALJ actually justified credibility assessment based on evidence. Also, ALJ could look to claimant’s description of his daily activities in assessing credibility regarding severity of his impairments.