Approval rates
Judge Davenport maintains a lifetime approval rate of 71%, which compares favorably against the latest 56% office average and the 58% national average. These statistics are derived from a docket of 11,329 lifetime decisions accumulated over 3 years on the bench. By reviewing these metrics, you can gain a clearer perspective on the local hearing environment. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your individual hearing outcome.
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 Davenport'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 a 3-year tenure, Judge Davenport has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. The yearly trend shows an approval rate of 73% in 2016, 69% in 2017, and 71% in 2018. This stability suggests a reliable decision-making pattern that has remained steady. The data reflects a continuation of this established pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Davenport'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 Davenport? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Kingsport hearing office
The Kingsport Hearing Office serves a broad population across Tennessee and the surrounding region. It is staffed by 6 judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 56%, reflecting the complex nature of the cases heard in this jurisdiction. You can visit the Kingsport 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 judge assignment is essentially random. Within the Kingsport Hearing Office, individual lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 45% to 77%. Because of this variance, understanding the broader office environment is useful for your preparation. The guidance for your hearing remains consistent regardless of which judge is 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.