Mitze v. Colvin: Social Security Disability Appeals Process

admin April 13, 2015

Mitze v. Colvin, an appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, involved claimant who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in 2009 at the age of 43 because she was suffering from a cyst in her pineal gland. The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland in the human brain which is responsible for production of melatonin. Melatonin is necessary to regulate sleep.

After Social Security Administration (SSA) denied her initial application, and she made several efforts to apply for reconsideration in writing, SSA granted her a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ) in November of 2011. ALJ held a hearing and rejected her claim for disability benefits. At this point, claimant appealed to the district court. During this appeal, the court affirmed ALJ’s denial of benefits.

The problem with finding claimant disabled, according to ALJ and district court, is pineal cysts are typically harmless. However, this is not always true. In this case, claimant testified her cyst caused blurred vision, headaches and vertigo, and these symptoms made it impossible for her to work in a full-time capacity.