United States Eighth Circuit

A decision denying claimant's application for disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act is reversed and remanded for reassessment where: 1) an ALJ summarily dismissed the records and recommendations from claimant's health-care professionals simply because they were too low on the pecking order as he understood it to exist at the time of the hearing; and 2) the SSA must determine whether its new ruling clarifying its assessment of opinions from sources other than those deemed "acceptable medical sources" affects its prior decision in the matter.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/22/2007
• Published 08/22/2007

Judges

• BYE, Circuit Judge., Before BYE and SMITH, Circuit Judges, and NANGLE, District Judge.

Court

• United States Eighth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Max J. Schott, argued, Des Moines, IA, for appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Richard L. Richards, AUSA, argued, Des Moines, IA, Robert M. Smith, on the brief, Soc. Sec. Admin., Kansas City, MO, for appellee.