Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps you understand the local landscape of your disability claim. Judge Bumgarner maintains a 79% approval rate, which stands higher than the 66% office average and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from a docket of 5,290 lifetime decisions, providing a stable statistical foundation. 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 Bumgarner'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 three years on the bench, Judge Bumgarner has maintained a consistent approval pattern. After an initial 83% approval rate in 2023, the rate adjusted to 77% in 2024 before reaching 80% in 2025. This stability suggests a steady approach to evaluating evidence and medical documentation. The latest reporting period confirms this trend, with an approval rate of 79% that remains above regional and national norms.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bumgarner'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 Bumgarner? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Fayetteville NC hearing office
The Fayetteville NC Hearing Office serves a broad population across North Carolina, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With six judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 66%, which is higher than the national average. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Fayetteville NC Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the Fayetteville NC office, the bench includes six judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 47% to 79%. Because of this variance, understanding the general environment of the office is useful for your preparation. The guidance for your case 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.