Approval rates
When reviewing the performance of Donald B. Fishman, it is helpful to look at how his approval rates align with broader benchmarks. His lifetime approval rate of 50% is 8 percentage points below both the state and national averages of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 5,017 lifetime decisions accumulated over his 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 Fishman'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 6 years on the bench, the approval rate for Donald B. Fishman has shown a downward trend. Starting at 59% in 2016, the annual approval rate declined to 43% by 2020. This shift reflects a move toward more stringent evidentiary requirements in his courtroom over time. Understanding this trajectory is important, as the latest period reflects a continuation of this pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Fishman'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 Fishman? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Savannah hearing office
The Savannah Hearing Office serves a broad population across Georgia, managing a high volume of Social Security Disability Insurance claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 52%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Savannah Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Savannah Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the office's bench, lifetime approval rates range from 37% to 73%, highlighting the variance in judicial decision-making. Regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing, the fundamental requirement remains the same: presenting a complete and medically supported file.
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.