Approval rates
Judge Evans maintains a lifetime approval rate of 71%, which is higher than the current national average of 58%. When compared to the Greensboro Hearing Office and the state of North Carolina, Judge Evans trends 5 percentage points higher than the local 66% average. These figures are derived from a docket of 3,765 lifetime decisions, providing a stable look at historical patterns. These statistics reflect past performance rather than a guarantee of your future 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 Evans'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 4-year tenure, your judge has shown an upward trend in approval rates. Starting at 61% in 2016, the rate climbed to 88% by 2019. This trajectory reflects a consistent pattern of decision-making over the course of 3,765 lifetime decisions. The recent period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern of allowance, which remains well above the national benchmark.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Evans'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 Evans? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Greensboro hearing office
The Greensboro Hearing Office serves a large population across North Carolina, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 66%, reflecting the regional complexity of cases. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Greensboro 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Greensboro Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates across the bench range from 49% to 73%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as looking at any single judge. You can review the full office roster on the Greensboro 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.