Gertrude E. Reynolds v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

The Secretary of Health and Human Services has determined that, as a matter of law, a widow is unable to engage in “any gainful activity,” the standard which must be met by one seeking widow’s disability benefits, only if she can prove, among other things, that she suffers from a disability identical or medically equivalent to certain designated impairments listed in regulations promulgated by the Secretary. Gertrude Reynolds, an unsuccessful claimant for widow’s benefits, disputes the validity of the Secretary’s regulations. She argues, principally, that the regulations bear no rational…