Aubuchon v. Barnhart

403 F. Supp. 2d 152 (2005)

From our private database of 46,500+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

Aubuchon v. Barnhart

United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
403 F. Supp. 2d 152 (2005)

  • Written by Nicole Gray , JD

Facts

David Aubuchon’s father applied for Social Security disability insurance benefits and supplemental security income, on his behalf, for the closed period from December 31, 1999, through August 16, 2001, claiming Aubuchon had been continuously disabled since he stopped working in 1999. Aubuchon fell off a ladder at work in 1997 and injured his back, but he returned to work. By 1999, Aubuchon was experiencing chronic lower-back pain radiating down his leg. Aubuchon was treated for the pain, which he described as worsening when he sat, stood, walked, coughed, and sneezed, from 1999 through 2001, receiving physical therapy, a series of steroid shots, and a prescription for pain medication. While Aubuchon was being treated for his back pain, he was noted by physicians as experiencing liver failure due to alcohol abuse. In August 2001, Aubuchon was hospitalized with acute liver disease, and he succumbed to it in October 2004. In a May 4, 2004 decision, an administrative-law judge (ALJ) denied Aubuchon’s applications after finding his impairments did not meet or medically equal one listed in the Social Security Administration’s disability listing. The ALJ made this finding despite the sole medical expert’s testimony that Aubuchon’s impairments did not individually meet any listed impairment, but his combination of impairments was medically equivalent to the listing for chronic liver disease. The ALJ’s decision became the final decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Jo Anne Barnhart (defendant). Aubuchon’s father filed suit on his behalf in United States district court to have the commissioner’s decision reversed and remanded.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Neiman, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 832,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,500 briefs, keyed to 994 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,500 briefs - keyed to 994 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership