Najeeba Mohammad v. Carolyn W. Colvin

MEMORANDUM

Najeeba Mohammad appeals the district court’s order affirming the ALJ’s denial of social security benefits. We review de novo and reverse only if the ALJ’s decision was not supported by substantial evidence or if the ALJ applied the wrong legal standard. Molina v. Astrue, 674 F.3d 1104, 1110 (9th Cir.2012). We affirm.

The ALJ found that Mohammad was “not entirely credible” because the record contained (1) affirmative evidence of malingering and exaggeration of her symptoms to obtain her children’s attention; (2) multiple inconsistent statements regarding her activities; (3) discrepancies in the evidence regarding her ability to speak English and Farsi; and (4) other evidence that undermined her claims regarding the intensity, persistence, and limiting effects of her symptoms. As a result of this credibility finding, the ALJ also rejected several medical opinions that were based on Mohammad’s statements.

The ALJ’s determination that Mohammad was not “forthright” about her language abilities is supported by substantial evidence. As the ALJ explained, Mohammad had been observed speaking English, and various individuals reported that they had been able to communicate…