Ellen Lee Gilfoy v. Nancy A. Berryhill

I. BACKGROUND

In 2011, Plaintiff protectively filed an application for DIB alleging disability beginning on September 16, 2006. See Dkt. 17, Administrative Record (“AR”) 144-45. After her application was denied at the initial and

' The Court partially redacts Plaintiff's name in compliance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2(c)(2)(B) and the recommendation of the Committee on Court Administration and Case Management of the Judicial Conference of the United States.

reconsideration levels, Plaintiff requested a hearing before an administrative law judge (“ALJ”). See AR 72, 82, 91-92. In October 2013, after a hearing before an ALJ, Plaintiff received an unfavorable decision. See AR 25-39. On June 17, 2016, this Court remanded for further proceedings because the ALJ failed to consider whether Plaintiff’s carpal tunnel syndrome was a severe impairment. See AR 848-53. On August 23, 2017, a second ALJ held a hearing at which Plaintiff, who was represented by counsel, and a vocational expert testified. See AR 823- 45. The ALJ issued an unfavorable decision on September 21, 2017. See AR 802-16. The ALJ found that Plaintiff had the following severe impairments:…