Jack BLACKNALL, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Margaret HECKLER, Secretary of Health & Human Services, Defendant-Appellee
Opinion
Opinion
The Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) denied Blacknall’s request for disability insurance benefits. Blacknall alleged that he was unable to work because of a lower back disc injury and psychiatric impairments. After a modification, the district court adopted the Magistrate’s Proposed Findings and Recommendations on review of the Secretary’s ruling, granting summary judgment for the Secretary. We affirm.
In reviewing a denial of a disability claim, we must affirm if the Secretary’s findings are supported by substantial evidence and the Secretary applied the proper legal standards. Thompson v. Schweiker, 665 F.2d 936 (9th Cir.1982); Benitez v. Cali-fano, 573 F.2d 653 (9th Cir.1978).
First, Blacknall argues that the Secretary misapplied the law by relying on the medical-vocational grid in making the disability determination because Blacknall had non-extertional, as well as exertional, limitations. Therefore, he claims it was error for the Secretary to have found that Blacknall had a residual functional capacity for light work, because his non-exertional limitations greatly diminished the range of light work he could do. We disagree.