Skip to main content

YOUR ODDS OF A FAVORABLE DISABILITY DECISION AT THE FLORENCE AL HEARING OFFICE

 

When a Social Security disability application has been denied at the first two levels it is sent for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. In Madison, Limestone, Morgan and Cullman, cases usually go to a judge in the Florence, Alabama Office of Hearings Operations (commonly called the  Florence "hearing office").

What are your odds with a judge in Florence? Here are their numbers, updated to October 31, 2024. The first number is the percentage of cases approved. The second number is each judge's total number of decisions (dispositions) for 2024.

Judge          Percentage Approved      Case Dispositions 2024

Digby, Patrick R.

32%

                    282

Green, Gloria W

50%

                    26

Grimes, James

49%

                     17

Lewis, Jason A

52%

                     288

Naylor, Amy H

 83%

                      6

Paschall, Ann G.

0%

                       0

Richey, Mallette

43%

                       267

Shimer, Scott C

0%

                       2

Weaver, Cynthia G

16%

                       192

Williams, Lori J

52%

                       298

Wright, Douglas A

71%

                       79__

TOTALS

43%

                       1700

The national average award rate for Administrative Law Judges is 54 percent. The average award rate for the Florence office is 45 percent. So, Florence is 9 points below the national average. Only one Florence judge's award rate is above the national average. The judges with 0% only handled 1 or 2 cases and therefore do not have percentages to calculate.

The lowest paying judge in this office pays only 16 percent of cases. The next lowest judge pays twice that rate at a very low 32 percent.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WHAT YOU WILL BE ASKED AT A DISABILITY HEARING

Most Social Security disability claims will be denied twice:  First at the end of the Application process, and again after the "Reconsideration" process.  The third stop will be a hearing before a federal Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). It is here at the hearing level that most SSDI claims are paid.  So, what do you need to know about your Social Security disability hearing?     First, the judge will follow the rules established by the Social Security Administration.  His or her job is to determine whether you meet the particular laws and rules to receive disability payments.  So, it is a legal proceeding where you must prove certain things in order to get paid. Among the things you must prove:  Your insured status with Social Security:  You have worked recently enough and paid into the Social Security trust fund to gain the required "work credits" to support your claim.  You have a severe medical or mental impairment supported by adequa...
Post a Comment
Read more

MISTAKES THAT RUIN A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY APPLICATION

MISTAKES THAT RUIN A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY APPLICATION  The paperwork for Social Security disability is daunting:  page after page of never-ending questions.  But, since most applications will be denied, it behooves you to complete the application correctly.  Here are some mistakes on your Social Security disability application that may ruin your claim.   Failing to Fill Out the Forms —The Social Security Administration (SSA) will send you a lot of forms to fill out. It’s up to you to make sure that you fill out every part of those forms correctly.  Don’t forget: if a question doesn’t apply to you, put “not applicable” or “N/A” in the provided space.   Do not leave anything blank. Return all forms within 10 days. If you don't your application may be discarded or withdrawn. Writing Illegibly —If your case reviewer can’t read your answers, then he/she can’t really say that you answered that question. Be sure the  answers to questions are nea...
Post a Comment
Read more

WHAT TYPE OF DENIALS DOES SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUE?

In Social Security disability, the most common denials are medical denials.  This means that Social Security doesn't believe the medical evidence in your case meets the exacting standards for an award of disability.  There are technically two kinds of medical denials: 1.  You are able to perform some of your past relevant work.  They have looked at your work history for the past 15 years and judged that your medical conditions permit you to perform one or more of your past jobs.  This is what we call a "Step 4 denial." 2.  You are not able to perform any of your past work - but there is other work in the national economy that you are able to do.  This is called a "Step 5 denial" because it occurs at the 5th and final "step" in the decision making process. There are other types of denials, not nearly as common as the two above.  We sometimes think of these as "automatic" denials or "technical denials."  They are not medical decisions...
Post a Comment
Read more