United States Tenth Circuit

In an application for disability benefits, administrative judge erred in rejecting the opinion of appellant's treating physician based on 1) an unfounded doubt that the doctor agreed with the assessment he signed, 2) his distinguishing between mental illness and substance abuse, and 3) because the opinion carried "a certain advocacy posture."

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/03/2002
• Published 05/03/2002

Judges

• SEYMOUR, Circuit Judge., Before SEYMOUR, McKAY and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• On the Briefs:  Mark E. Buchner, Tulsa, OK, for Plaintiff-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Thomas Scott Woodward, Acting United States Attorney and Cathryn McClanahan, Assistant United States Attorney, Tulsa, Oklahoma;  Tina M. Waddell, Regional Chief Counsel, Region VI, Mark J. Kingsolver, Deputy Regional Chief Counsel, and Thomas C. Strafuss, Assistant Regional Counsel, Social Security Administration, Dallas, TX, for Defendant-Appellee.