Stephen Travis v. Nancy Berryhill

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff applied for DIB on November 20, 2014, alleging disability beginning June 5, 2007. See Dkt. 19, Administrative Record (“AR”) 208-14. Plaintiff subsequently amended his onset date to November 20, 2014. See AR 36. After his claim was denied initially and on reconsideration, Plaintiff

1 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. requested and received a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) on March 16, 2017. See AR 33-85. On June 12, 2017, the ALJ issued a written decision. See AR 15-24. At step two of the five-step sequential evaluation process, the ALJ determined that Plaintiff had the medically determinable impairments of chronic sinus infection, hearing loss, and depressive disorder, but found that they were not severe. See AR 17-23. Accordingly, the ALJ found that Plaintiff was not disabled within the meaning of the Social Security Act. See AR 23. The Appeals Council denied review of the ALJ’s decision, which became the final decision of the…