Chad W. Bryan

How Judge Bryan rules, drawn from 20 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
Position
magistrate
Commissioned
2022-07-14
Education
University of Alabama (B.A. in History and English, summa cum laude, 2000); University of Alabama School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2003)
Signed orders read
20

How Judge Bryan decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

When deciding whether a crop-insurance dispute must be arbitrated, focuses on the factual source of the claims rather than their pleaded labels and applies the presumption that a broadly worded arbitration clause covers disputes over an insurer's determinations.

“Fillingim’s claims do not become untethered from an NAU ‘determination’ merely because she has labeled them as arising under the parties’ written payment agreement—especially considering that such payment agreements are contemplated in the crop insurance policy itself.”

In Social Security appeals, Bryan frames the inquiry narrowly around whether substantial evidence and the correct legal standard support the agency's decision, not whether he would have reached the same result himself, a consistent deferential framing across both affirmances and reversals.

“the court concludes as follows: that Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 14) is due to be DENIED; that the Commissioner's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 15) is due to be GRANTED; and that the Commissioner's decision is due to be AFFIRMED.”

Procedural preferences

On the Commissioner's own unopposed motion for a sentence-four remand, Bryan grants it readily and enters judgment reversing and remanding for further administrative proceedings, without requiring further briefing.

“it is hereby ORDERED that the 17 motion is GRANTED. The Commissioners underlying decision is REVERSED, and this case is REMANDED to the Commissioner for further proceedings pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. 405(g).”

Cautions

Bryan enforces the Social Security scheduling order's briefing deadlines: when a claimant fails to file the supporting brief the Commissioner's motion to dismiss is granted and summary judgment is entered for the Commissioner without reaching the merits of the disability claim.

“it is hereby ORDERED that the Commissioner's pending 12 motion to dismiss is GRANTED and that summary judgment is due to be entered in favor of the Commissioner on all claims.”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Kindred v. O'Malley
3:22-cv-00502 · 2024-01-22
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“The Court CONSTRUES Plf's 15 supporting brief as a Motion for Summary Judgment and the Commissioner's 18 opposition brief as a competing Motion for Summary Judgment; the court hereby concludes as follows: that Plf's 15 motion for summary judgment is due to be DENIED; that the Commissioner's 18 motion for summary judgment is due to be GRANTED; and that the Commissioner's decision is due to be AFFIRMED; A separate judgment will issue.”

Williams v. Kijakazi
2:22-cv-00517 · 2023-04-11
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“it is hereby ORDERED that the Commissioner's pending 12 motion to dismiss is GRANTED and that summary judgment is due to be entered in favor of the Commissioner on all claims.”

Chester v. Kijakazi
2:22-cv-00538 · 2023-11-13
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“the court concludes as follows: that Plf's 16 motion for summary judgment is due to be DENIED; that the Commissioner's 17 motion for summary judgment is due to be GRANTED; and that the Commissioner's decision is due to be AFFIRMED.”

Randolph v. Kijakazi
2:22-cv-00583 · 2023-12-18
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“the court concludes as follows: that Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 14) is due to be DENIED; that the Commissioner's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 15) is due to be GRANTED; and that the Commissioner's decision is due to be AFFIRMED.”

Cox v. Kijakazi
1:23-cv-00043 · 2023-06-20
Social security appeal (defendant) Granted

“it is hereby ORDERED that the 17 motion is GRANTED. The Commissioners underlying decision is REVERSED, and this case is REMANDED to the Commissioner for further proceedings pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. 405(g).”

Cox v. Kijakazi
1:23-cv-00043 · 2023-09-19
Motion for attorneys fees (plaintiff) Granted

“it is hereby ORDERED that the 20 motion for attorney fees is GRANTED and that Plaintiff is awarded an EAJA fee in the amount of $5,979.50, as further set out in order.”

Chain v. King
1:23-cv-00366 · 2024-04-02
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Granted

“the court concludes as follows: that Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 10) is due to be GRANTED; that the Commissioner's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 18) is due to be DENIED; and that the Commissioner's decision is due to be REVERSED and REMANDED with instructions for additional proceedings consistent with this opinion, including rehearing if necessary.”

Leverett v. O'Malley
2:23-cv-00400 · 2024-02-16
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 5) is due to be DENIED; the Commissioner's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 6) is due to be GRANTED; and the Commissioner's decision is due to be AFFIRMED.”

Sanders v. O'Malley
2:23-cv-00504 · 2024-04-25
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“Plaintiff's construed motion for summary judgment (Doc. 12) is due to be DENIED; that the Commissioner's construed motion for summary judgment (Doc. 16) is due to be GRANTED; and that the Commissioner's decision is due to be AFFIRMED.”

Davis v. O'Malley
2:23-cv-00751 · 2024-07-15
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“that Plaintiff's construed motion for summary judgment (Doc. 11) is due to be DENIED; that the Commissioner's construed motion for summary judgment (Doc. 12) is due to be GRANTED; and that the Commissioner's decision is due to be AFFIRMED.”

Parker v. O'Malley
2:24-cv-00007 · 2024-07-18
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“that Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 10) is due to be DENIED; that the Commissioner's motion for summary judgment (Doc. 11) is due to be GRANTED; and that the Commissioner's decision is due to be AFFIRMED. A separate judgment will issue.”

Crosby v. O'Malley
3:24-cv-00021 · 2024-09-27
Social security appeal (plaintiff) Denied

“that Plaintiff's 8 motion for summary judgment is due to be DENIED; that the Commissioner's 11 motion for summary judgment is due to be GRANTED; and that the Commissioners decision is due to be AFFIRMED; A separate judgment will issue.”

Caseload & timing

From public federal docket records for this judge.

Bryan's consent-jurisdiction caseload sampled here is dominated by Social Security disability-benefits appeals (Titles II and XVI), alongside employment-discrimination cases (Title VII, ADA, FLSA), diversity personal-injury and insurance matters, contract disputes, and Section 1983 civil-rights claims.

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