A woman's application for federal disability benefits was denied and will stand.
Thelathia K v. Commissioner of Social Security
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A woman's application for federal disability benefits was denied and will stand.
Why it matters
In Thelathia K. v. Commissioner of Social Security, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina affirmed the Social Security Administration's decision to deny the plaintiff's claim for Disability Insurance Benefits. A Magistrate Judge had reviewed the case and recommended affirming the Commissioner's decision. Because neither party filed objections to that recommendation, the district court reviewed only for clear error, found none, and adopted the recommendation in full.
Who it affects
This ruling directly affects the plaintiff, who will not receive the federal Disability Insurance Benefits she sought. More broadly, it illustrates how Social Security claimants who do not object to a Magistrate Judge's unfavorable recommendation risk having that recommendation adopted without full judicial review.
What happens next
Current
Decision issued Aug 28, 2026
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Parties can ask the same court to reconsider. Then: possible appeal to the circuit court.
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- Decision issued Aug 28, 2026
- Possible rehearingParties can ask the same court to reconsider.
- Possible appeal to the circuit court
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Decision issued
Aug 28, 2026
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Long-form analysis, legal background, and source material
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DEEPER READ
The central question was whether the Social Security Administration's denial of Disability Insurance Benefits to the plaintiff was legally sound. The plaintiff brought this case under 42 U.S.C. Section 405(g), which allows individuals to ask a federal court to review a final decision by the Social Security Commissioner. The case was referred to a Magistrate Judge, William S. Brown, who issued a Report and Recommendation on August 13, 2026, concluding that the Commissioner's decision should be affirmed. The Magistrate Judge informed both parties of the procedures for filing objections and warned them of the consequences of not doing so. Neither party filed any objections within the allowed time. Because no objections were filed, the district court was not required to conduct a full, independent (de novo) review of the record. Instead, the court applied a lower standard, checking only for clear error on the face of the record. The court cited Diamond v. Colonial Life and Accident Insurance for this principle. Finding no clear error, the court accepted the Magistrate Judge's Report and incorporated it by reference. The court's final order affirmed the Commissioner's denial of benefits. The opinion does not detail the specific medical or factual findings that led to the denial, as those would be contained in the Magistrate Judge's Report, which is incorporated but not reprinted here. No dissent is mentioned in the source text, as this is a single-judge district court ruling.
CITATION AND RECORD
Record source: CourtListener
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA ANDERSON/GREENWOOD DIVISION Thelathia K., * ) Case No. 8:25-cv-11562-JDA ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) OPINION AND ORDER ) Commissioner of Social Security, ) ) Defendant. ) ) This matter is before the Court on an action brought by Plaintiff pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), to obtain judicial review of a final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security Administration (the “Commissioner”) regarding her claim for Disability Insurance Benefits (“DIB”) under the Social Security Act (the “Act”). In accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Civil Rule 73.02(B)(2), D.S.C., this matter was referred to United States Magistrate Judge William S. Brown for pre-trial proceedings. On August 13, 2026, the Magistrate Judge issued a Report and Recommendation (“Report”) recommending that the Commissioner’s decision be affirmed. [Doc. 12.] The Magistrate Judge advised the parties of the procedures and requirements for filing objections to the Report and the serious consequences if they failed to do so. [Id. at 18.] No party has filed no objections, and the time to do so has lapsed. * The Committee on Court Administration and Case Management of the Judicial Conference of the United States has recommended that due to significant privacy concerns in Social Security cases, federal courts should refer to plaintiffs only by their first names and last initials. The Magistrate Judge makes only a recommendation to this Court. The recommendation has no presumptive weight, and the responsibility to make a final determination remains with the Court. See Mathews v. Weber, 423 U.S. 261, 270–71 (1976). The Court is charged with making a de novo determination of any portion of the Report of the Magistrate Judge to which a specific objection is made. The Court may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the recommendation made by the Magistrate Judge or recommit the matter to the Magistrate Judge with instructions. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(b). The Court will review the Report only for clear error in the absence of an objection. See Diamond v. Colonial Life & Accident Ins.., 416 F.3d 310, 315 (4th Cir. 2005) (stating that “in the absence of a timely filed objection, a district court need not conduct a de novo review, but instead must only satisfy itself that there is no clear error on the face of the record in order to accept the recommendation” (internal quotation marks omitted)). The Court has reviewed the record in this case, the applicable law, and the Report of the Magistrate Judge for clear error. Having done so, the Court accepts the Report and Recommendation of the Magistrate Judge and incorporates it by reference. Accordingly, the decision of the Commissioner is AFFIRMED. IT IS SO ORDERED. s/ Jacquelyn D. Austin United States District Judge August 28, 2026 Greenville, South Carolina
Sources
- Official opinionPrimary record
Public record. Timeline facts only; no accusation of wrongdoing. Advisory citizen opinion does not form a citizen mandate.