Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader trends provides context for what to expect at your hearing. Louis Bonsangue has maintained a 52% lifetime approval rate across 22,912 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his 57% approval rate is 3 points below the Hartford office average of 60% and 1 point below the national average of 58%.
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 Bonsangue'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 10 years on the bench, Louis Bonsangue has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After starting at 42% in 2016, his approval rate reached 62% in 2024 before moving to 56% in 2025. This pattern reflects how your specific evidence and case mix influence outcomes in any given period.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bonsangue'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 Bonsangue? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Hartford hearing office
The Hartford Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Connecticut as part of a regional network for disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a high volume of cases. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 60%. You can visit the Hartford 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Hartford Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 27% to 56%. Because you cannot choose your judge, you should focus on the strength of your medical documentation.
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.