Cantrell v. Commissioner of Social Security Administration

MEMORANDUM

Plaintiff-Appellant Deborah Cantrell appeals the district court’s decision granting summary judgment to Defendant-Appellee the Commissioner of Social Security on her claims for benefits. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we vacate and remand.

Among other things, the administrative law judge (“ALJ”) found that Cantrell did not establish degenerative disc disease as a severe impairment because of a lack of supporting objective medical evidence, and also discounted Cantrell’s self-reporting and her treating medical providers’ assessments for the same reason. The Appeals Council denied Cantrell’s request for review, but incorporated a 2008 x-ray into the record that had not been presented to the ALJ. That x-ray showed “marked multilevel degenerative changes” of the cervical spine.

Under Brewes v. Commissioner of Social Security Admin., 682 F.3d 1157, 1163 (9th Cir.2012), such “evidence becomes part of the administrative record, which [we] must consider when reviewing the Commissioner’s final decision for substantial evidence.” Because the 2008 x-ray may have implications for the agency’s reasons for denying benefits, we vacate the district court’s…