Opinion
Case No: 5:13-cv-466-Oc-18GJK
02-11-2015
CATHERINE M. HUNTER, Plaintiff, v. COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY, Defendant.
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Catherm M. Hunter (the "Claimant"), appeals from a final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security (the "Commissioner") denying her application for disability insurance benefits ("DIB"). Doc. No. 1. Claimant argues that the Administrative Law Judge (the "ALJ") erred by: 1) failing to develop the record with regard to treatment provided by Dr. Parmanand Gurnani; 2) posing a hypothetical question to the Vocational Expert ("VE") that did not adequately account for her limitations; and 3) finding her testimony concerning her pain and limitations not credible. Doc. No. 19 at 26-34. For the reasons that follow, it is RECOMMENDED that the Court AFFIRM the Commissioner's final decision. I. THE ALJ'S FIVE-STEP DISABILITY EVALUATION PROCESS .
On April 22, 2010, Claimant filed an application for a period of disability and DIB, alleging disability beginning on April 21, 2007. R. 162-63. Claimant last met the insured status requirements of the Social Security Act on December 31, 2007. R. 12.
Under the authority of the Social Security Act, the Social Security Administration has established a five-step sequential evaluation process for determining whether an individual is