Ralph Roy Peralta v. Nancy A. Berryhill

INTRODUCTION

Ralph P. (“Plaintiff”) applied for Disability Insurance Benefits on February 17, 2016, alleging disability beginning December 7, 2015. See Dkt. 1, Administrative Record (“AR”) 170-71, 205-06.2 After being denied initially and on reconsideration, see AR 94-101, Plaintiff requested and received a

1 Andrew Saul is now the Commissioner of Social Security and is automatically substituted as a party pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 25(d). 2 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. hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) on July 26, 2018, see AR 28-72, 106-07. The ALJ issued an unfavorable decision on August 30, 2018. See AR 12- 24. The ALJ followed the five-step sequential evaluation process for determining whether an individual is disabled. At step one, the ALJ found that Plaintiff had not engaged in substantial gainful activity since his alleged disability onset date. See AR 17. At step two, the ALJ determined that Plaintiff had the severe…