Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes to ensure accuracy. Stacy Appleton maintains a 44% lifetime approval rate, which sits within the 44% to 59% lifetime range observed among the bench at the Middlesboro hearing office. In the most recent reporting period, the 39% approval rate is 3 percentage points lower than the office-wide average of 42%. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your individual hearing outcome.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Appleton's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Since 2023, Stacy Appleton has issued 1,347 decisions on record. The yearly trend shows a peak in 2024 at 49% approval, followed by a decline to 39% in 2026. This recent shift indicates that the latest-period approval rate is currently lower than the lifetime average. These patterns often fluctuate based on the specific mix of medical conditions and evidence quality presented in a given year.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Appleton's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
About the Middlesboro hearing office
The Middlesboro hearing office serves you and other claimants across Kentucky and the surrounding region. With 5 judges on record, the office maintains a latest-period approval rate of 42%. When you appear here, be prepared for a thorough review of your medical documentation and work history. You can see the Middlesboro hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. There are 5 judges on record at the Middlesboro hearing office since 2016, with 3 currently reporting in the latest SSA data. Approval rates across this bench vary between 44% and 59% over their respective lifetimes. You can find more information on the Middlesboro hearing office page.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Stacy Appleton's 44% lifetime approval rate is at the lower end of the 44% to 59% range seen among the judges at the Middlesboro hearing office. An attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific evidentiary standards this judge expects.
Yes, the approval rate has shown variance, moving from 46% in 2023 to 39% in 2026. While these trends provide context, an attorney can help you understand how to build a strong case regardless of recent shifts in approval patterns.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration uses a random workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for the hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical records and may hear testimony from you and vocational experts. An attorney can help you navigate this process and ensure your testimony clearly addresses the judge's questions.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions and not a guarantee of your outcome. Your success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and how well your limitations are documented, which an attorney can help you organize.