White v. Social Security Administration, Commissioner

Terrence White applied for Social Security disability benefits, claiming he could no longer work. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) denied the application, finding that White retained the capacity to perform his past relevant work. White appealed, arguing that the ALJ violated his due process rights by refusing to allow him to cross-examine a vocational expert and by failing to fully develop the medical record. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reviewed the case and affirmed the denial. The court held that the ALJ's decision was supported by substantial evidence, and that the procedures employed were consistent with applicable regulations and constitutional requirements.

The Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court's decision, upholding the Commissioner's denial of disability benefits.

Whether the Administrative Law Judge failed to fully and fairly develop the administrative record and violated the claimant's due process rights by precluding cross-examination of the vocational expert.

This decision reinforces the broad discretion of administrative law judges in handling social security disability hearings and clarifies that the substantial evidence standard sets a high bar for overturning agency decisions, thereby providing predictability in the adjudication of similar claims.