(SS) Lachner v. Commissioner of Social Security

I. INTRODUCTION

16 Plaintiff Michelle Leigh Lachner (“Plaintiff”) seeks judicial review of a final decision of the Acting Commissioner of Social Security (the “Acting Commissioner” or “Defendant”) denying her application for disability insurance benefits (“DIB”) under the Social Security Act (the “Act”). (Doc. 1.) The matter is currently before the Court on the parties’ briefs, which were submitted, without oral argument, to the Honorable Sheila K. Oberto, United States Magistrate Judge.1 II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND On September 4, 2018, Plaintiff protectively filed an application for DIB payments, alleging she became disabled on March 28, 2017, due to left total knee replacement failure, back pain, right shoulder pain and numbness, carpal tunnel of both hands, bilateral hip pain, osteoarthritis, right knee pain, left ankle pain, headaches, and depression. (Administrative Record (“AR”) 20, 80, 81, 99, 116, 248.) Plaintiff was born on May 18, 1974, and was 42 years old on the alleged onset date. (AR 34, 28 80, 98, 245, 282, 302.) She has at least a high school education and has past work as a medical 2 …