Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps provide a clearer picture of the local hearing environment. Judge Buel's 71% lifetime approval rate is measured against the latest office-wide average of 59% and a national average of 58%. With a substantial docket of 28,583 lifetime decisions, the data offers a stable view of his historical decision-making tendencies. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting outcomes 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 Buel Sr.'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 his 10 years on the bench, Judge Buel has shown a consistent trend in his approval patterns. After an initial 50% approval rate in 2016, his figures rose and have remained largely steady, often hovering in the low-to-mid 70s. The most recent data shows a 76% approval rate, suggesting a continuation of this stable, high-approval trend. These patterns reflect the judge's long-term approach to evaluating evidence and disability claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Buel Sr.'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 Buel Sr.? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charleston WV hearing office
The Charleston WV Hearing Office serves you throughout West Virginia, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 59%, reflecting the regional complexity of disability claims. You should expect a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can visit the Charleston WV Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Charleston WV office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 39% to 79%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent 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.