Wright v. Barnhart

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 01-50474
Summary Calendar
BILL E WRIGHT,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
JO ANNE B BARNHART, COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY
Defendant-Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court
For the Western District of Texas
A-99-CV-808-AA
January 2, 2002
Before HIGGINBOTHAM, WIENER, and BARKSDALE, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Bill E. Wright appeals from the district court’s judgment
affirming the denial of his application for disability insurance
benefits. In order to be eligible, Wright must demonstrate that
the onset of a qualifying medical impairment was on or before
December 31, 1990, the date he was last insured.1
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion
should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited
circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.
1
Loza v. Apfel, 219 F.3d 378, 394 (5th Cir. 2000).
Our review of the record shows that the ALJ’s decision that
Wright did not suffer a qualifying medical impairment as of
December 31, 1990 is supported by substantial evidence on the
record as a whole and was reached through the application of proper
legal standards.2 While Wright contends that the ALJ erred by not
applying the full five-step sequential analysis for determining
whether a claimant is disabled, this contention is without merit.
The ALJ found that Wright did not have a “severe impairment,” and
therefore did not satisfy step two of the five-step analysis, which
is dispositive as to the question of whether Wright was disabled.
“A finding that a claimant is disabled or not disabled at any point
in the five-step process is conclusive and terminates the
Secretary’s analysis.”3
AFFIRMED.
2
Id. at 389.
3
Bowling v. Shalala, 36 F.3d 431, 435 (5th Cir. 1994) (quoting Harrell v.
Bowen, 862 F.2d 471, 475 (5th Cir. 1988)).
2