Approval rates
Judge Carey's lifetime approval rate of 46% is based on a docket of 22,819 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate of 54% remains below the 58% national average and the 56% state average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in her courtroom over the last decade. 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 Carey'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
Throughout her 10-year tenure, your judge has seen fluctuations in approval patterns. After an initial high in 2016, the rate stabilized in the mid-40s for several years before showing a notable increase in 2024 and 2025. This recent shift toward higher approval rates suggests a potential change in case mix or evidence presentation. The latest period reflects a continuation of this upward trend, moving closer to the office-wide averages observed in the region.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Carey'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 Carey? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Toledo OH hearing office
The Toledo OH Hearing Office serves you across the region, managing a high volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate that reflects the broader trends seen in Ohio. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. For more information, see the Toledo OH 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Toledo OH Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 44% to 51%. While these variances exist, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent regardless of the judge. You can find more information on the office's overall performance on the hearing office page.
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.