Parra v. Astrue

481 F.3d 742 (2007)

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

Parra v. Astrue

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
481 F.3d 742 (2007)

  • Written by Nicole Gray , JD

Facts

Joseph Parra (plaintiff) applied for Social Security benefits, claiming he was disabled because of liver cirrhosis due to alcohol abuse and bursitis. The applications were denied initially, upon reconsideration, and after an administrative-law judge (ALJ) hearing because the administration found that Parra was precluded from an award of benefits because his alcoholism was a material contributing factor to his disability. The decision was based on an administrative medical expert’s opinion, after reviewing Parra’s medical records, that the effects of Parra’s cirrhosis would have ceased had he quit drinking before his insurance lapsed. Parra sought judicial review of the denial, which became the first decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Michael Astrue (defendant). A district court remanded the decision to the commissioner for reconsideration, then Parra died from several ailments including liver cirrhosis, and a second decision was rendered based on the same reasoning after Parra’s daughter had been substituted as the plaintiff. Parra’s daughter appealed, and the commissioner stipulated to a third ALJ hearing in which the ALJ found that, presuming Parra’s cirrhosis was disabling, he was precluded from a benefits award for the reasoning maintained from the commissioner’s initial decision. A district court affirmed the third denial, and Parra’s daughter appealed.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Hall, 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