Approval rates
When evaluating your chances, it is helpful to look at how a judge’s history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Battles has a lifetime approval rate of 43% across 12,743 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 29%, compared to the 51% office average and the 58% national average. These figures reflect past performance and do not predict the outcome of 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 Battles'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
The decision pattern for Judge Battles has shown notable shifts over his 9-year tenure. After an approval rate of 29% in 2017, his rates climbed to a peak of 54% in 2019 before stabilizing in the low-to-mid 40% range for several years. The most recent data indicates a 32% approval rate. These fluctuations often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the specific medical evidence presented during those periods.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Battles'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 Kingsport hearing office
The NHC Falls Church hearing office serves claimants throughout Virginia and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of 6 judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 51%, which serves as a baseline for the local jurisdiction. You can visit the NHC Falls Church 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. At the NHC Falls Church hearing office, the bench includes 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 43% to 69%. Because you cannot choose your judge, your focus should remain on building a robust medical record. The guidance for your case remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Your odds change dramatically 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.