Approval rates
Judge Patrick R. Digby maintains a lifetime approval rate of 33% based on 18,015 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded an approval rate of 38%, which compares to a 49% average for the Florence Hearing Office and a 58% national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the judge's tenure. 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 Digby'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 10-year tenure, Judge Patrick R. Digby has seen significant shifts in approval patterns. After peaking at 45% in 2017, the approval rate declined to a low of 15% in 2021 before trending upward to 40% in 2025. This fluctuation across 18,015 lifetime decisions suggests that the judge's approach to evidence and case requirements has evolved. The recent data reflects a period of relative stability compared to the volatility seen in the early 2020s.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Digby'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 Digby? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Florence hearing office
The Florence Hearing Office serves you throughout South Carolina, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 49%, reflecting the regional landscape of disability claims. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical documentation and vocational evidence. You can see the Florence 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 your assignment to Judge Patrick R. Digby is essentially random. Within the Florence Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 33% to 76%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent across all courtrooms. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are 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.