Gutzman v. Apfel

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

KOPF, Chief Judge.

Because the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) improperly evaluated a treating doctor’s opinion, I will reverse the decision denying Plaintiff benefits. I will also remand for further review.

While it may be that the treating physician’s opinion should ultimately be rejected when that opinion is properly examined, the ALJ must correctly probe the basis of the doctor’s assessment before spurning it. The reasons for my decision that the ALJ did not do so are set forth below.

I. BACKGROUND

At the time of the hearing, Plaintiff was a thirty-five-year-old woman with…