Approval rates
Understanding how a judge compares to their peers can help you prepare for your hearing. Across the 1,128 decisions on record since December 2022, Grant Dail has maintained an approval rate of 62%. For context, the 22 judges whose most recent office on record is the Atlanta Downtown hearing office show a range of approval rates from 23% to 86%. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Dail'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 approval rate for Grant Dail has shown an upward trend. Starting at 58% in 2023, the rate moved to 60% in 2024 and 62% in 2025. In the most recent partial period of 2026, the rate reached 66% across 306 decisions. This latest-period figure matches the Atlanta Downtown office average of 66%, while remaining 9 points higher than the state average and 8 points higher than the national average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dail'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 Atlanta Downtown hearing office
The Atlanta Downtown hearing office is the most recent office on record for Grant Dail, with the last recorded decision there in July 2026. With a bench of 22 judges on record, this office manages a high volume of disability claims. The office-wide approval rate in the latest reporting period is 66%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Atlanta Downtown
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 22 judges whose most recent office on record is the Atlanta Downtown hearing office, and 9 of them decided cases here in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 23% to 86%.
Approval rates change 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.
Frequently asked questions
Grant Dail's latest-period approval rate of 66% is in line with the Atlanta Downtown hearing office average of 66%. Because judges at this office have varying approval rates ranging from 23% to 86%, having an attorney help you prepare for the specific expectations of your hearing is a smart step.
Yes, the data shows a gradual increase in approval rates over time. Grant Dail's rate rose from 58% in 2023 to 66% in the partial 2026 period. If you are concerned about how these trends might impact your case, an attorney can help you prepare a strong, evidence-based argument.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Since you cannot control the assignment, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence is the best way to prepare.
A hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You may be asked questions about your daily limitations and work history. An attorney can help you prepare for these questions and ensure your evidence is clearly presented.
An approval rate is a probability based on past decisions, not a guarantee of how your specific case will be decided. While Grant Dail has a 62% approval rate since 2022, your outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence supporting your disability. An attorney can help you evaluate your case strengths.
