Approval rates
When evaluating your hearing prospects, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Dantonio’s 59% lifetime approval rate is 1 percentage point higher than the Tacoma Hearing Office average and matches the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 8,877 lifetime decisions. 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 Dantonio'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 her 6-year tenure, your judge has seen fluctuations in annual approval patterns. While she reached a high of 66% in 2020, her data from 2021 showed a rate of 48%. This shift reflects the natural variability in case evidence and the types of impairments presented during different periods. Her overall career trajectory suggests a judge who evaluates each file on its specific merits, with the latest period representing a departure from her long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dantonio'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 Dantonio? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Tacoma WA hearing office
The Tacoma Hearing Office serves a significant population of claimants across Washington state. It is a primary hub for regional disability hearings, managing a high volume of cases with a diverse bench of administrative law judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 58%, consistent with national standards for disability adjudication.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. At the Tacoma Hearing Office, the bench is comprised of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 31% to 72%. This variance highlights why the specific judge assigned to your case is only one variable in a much larger process.
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.