Vincent v. Heckler’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

46 federal appellate · 20 district ·

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 159 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “must explain why 'significant probative evidence has been rejected.'”

   9 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Akman v. Secretary of Health and Human Services · Watson v. R Bowen

2. “[a]fter-the-fact psychiatric diagnoses are notoriously unreliable.”

   6 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Annie M. Clegg v. John J. Callahan, Acting Commissioner of Social Security Administration · Larry Bradshaw v. Shirley S. Chater, Commissioner of Social Security

3. “Mary Manser, a former employee of Vincent’s, testified that Vincent suffered serious mental impairment as a result of his second stroke. Additionally, Thomas Vincent testified that his father’s second stroke had left him impaired. The ALJ did not discuss this testimony in his hearing decision. Once again, this omission does not require reversal. Although courts have upheld the use of lay testimony in some instances, see Singletary v. Secretary of HEW, 623 F.2d 217 (2d Cir.1980), it is not the equivalent of “medically acceptable ... diagnostic techniques” that are ordinarily relied upon to establish a disability. See 42 U.S.C. § 423 (d)(3); Hall v. Secretary of HEW, 602 F.2d 1372 (9th Cir.1979). The ALJ properly discounted lay testimony that conflicted with the available medical evidence.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Glover v. Astrue · 80 F. Supp. 3d 1137 - Lee v. Colvin