Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Egan maintains a lifetime approval rate of 78%, which stands in contrast to the Charlotte Hearing Office latest rate of 72% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 6,784 lifetime decisions, offering a stable view of his decision-making history. 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 Egan'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 his 5 years on the bench, your judge has shown a varied approval trend. After starting with a 68% approval rate in 2016, his numbers climbed to a peak of 88% in 2019 before adjusting to 76% in 2020. This trajectory reflects a period of significant activity, with 6,784 lifetime decisions shaping his current profile. The recent data suggests a return toward his long-term average following a period of higher-than-average approvals.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Egan'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 Egan? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charlotte hearing office
The Charlotte Hearing Office serves a large population across North Carolina, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 72%. You can expect a professional environment where your evidence quality and medical documentation are the primary drivers of a favorable outcome. For more information, see the Charlotte 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 a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Charlotte Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 28% to 78%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent across all courtrooms. You can find more information on the office's full ALJ roster on the Charlotte Hearing Office page.
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.