Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at data from the same timeframe to ensure accuracy. While your judge's overall approval rate since 2017 is 65%, recent reporting periods show different trends compared to the office, state, and national averages. The 2,971 decisions on record provide a sample size for understanding this judge's historical pattern.
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 Diaz'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 Ruy V. Diaz has shifted since 2017. The latest reporting period shows an 86% approval rate, which sits 14 percentage points above the office and state averages of 72%. This recent performance reflects a trend that may be influenced by the specific mix of cases assigned to your judge.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Diaz'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 San Juan hearing office
Ruy V. Diaz's most recent office on record is the San Juan hearing office, with decisions there through July 2026. This office serves you and other claimants across Puerto Rico. With 11 judges on the bench, the office maintains an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 72%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is San Juan
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 11 judges whose most recent office on record is the San Juan office, and 7 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file through July 2026. Approval rates for this bench range from 62% to 88% on their records since 2016.
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
Judge Diaz has an approval rate of 65% across 2,971 decisions on record since 2017. This places the judge within the 62% to 88% range observed among the 11 judges whose most recent office on record is San Juan. An attorney can help you understand how these local patterns might impact your specific hearing strategy.
Yes, the approval rate has fluctuated over time. While the rate on record since 2017 is 65%, the most recent reporting period shows an 86% approval rate. If you are concerned about how these trends affect your claim, an attorney can help you prepare your case for the hearing.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on building a strong case with the help of an attorney.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical evidence and hears testimony. You may be questioned by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to work. An attorney can help you prepare for this process and ensure your evidence is presented clearly.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. While the judge's rate provides context, your success depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation supporting your disability. An attorney can help you evaluate your case strengths and prepare for the hearing.
