Reter v. Railroad Retirement Board

ARNOLD, Circuit Judge.

Clark Reter filed a claim under the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) for disability annuity benefits based on his diminished hearing capacity and pain in his back, shoulders, legs, arms, and hands. See 45 U.S.C. § 231 a(a)(l)(v). The Railroad Retirement Board denied his claim. He appealed and we affirm.

Mr. Reter was employed by the railroad industry from 1977 until 1988, when he stopped working after injuring his back. A few years later, Mr. Reter obtained an associate’s degree in commercial art. He then worked both as a graphic artist and as a web designer until 2001, when…