Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both lifetime averages and recent reporting periods. While your judge maintains a 30% lifetime approval rate, recent data shows a 49% approval rate in the latest period. This is compared against the Fort Worth Hearing Office average of 55% and a national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 22,714 lifetime decisions, providing a clear view of historical trends. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
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 Batik'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
Over a 10-year tenure, your judge's approval rate has evolved from 26% in 2016 to 53% in 2025. The data indicates a notable upward trend in approvals, particularly in the last two years, which diverges from the lower rates observed earlier in his career. This shift may reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented. The latest period reflects a continuation of this recent upward trajectory in favorable outcomes.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Batik'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.
Hearing with Judge Batik? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Fort Worth hearing office
The Fort Worth Hearing Office serves a large population across Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges currently presiding, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 55%. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Fort Worth Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a random workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. At the Fort Worth Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 30% to 51%. Because case assignment is essentially random, the specific judge you draw is a matter of administrative process. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.