Approval rates
The approval rate for Donald E. Garrison is based on 878 decisions issued between 2016 and 2017. This figure is compared against the broader bench at the Franklin TN office, where judges whose most recent office on record is this one show a range of approval rates from 29% to 76%. These statistics provide a baseline for understanding how different judges approach the evidence in your disability claim.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Garrison. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 29, 2017. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Garrison'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 Donald E. Garrison remained consistent during the period of 2016 to 2017. In 2016, you would have seen an approval rate of 78% over 518 decisions, followed by 75% across 504 decisions in 2017. This steady pattern suggests a stable approach to evaluating the medical and vocational evidence you present in your disability case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Garrison'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 Franklin TN hearing office
Donald E. Garrison's most recent office on record is the Franklin TN hearing office. This office is associated with 14 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. You can expect a formal hearing process where the quality of your medical documentation is the primary factor in your decision.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Franklin TN
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 14 judges whose most recent office on record is the Franklin TN office, with approval rates ranging from 29% to 76% on their since-2016 records. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the hearing room, understanding the office-wide bench is a helpful part of your preparation.
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
Donald E. Garrison has an approval rate of 76% based on 878 decisions on record since 2016. This is at the high end of the range for the 14 judges whose most recent office on record is the Franklin TN office, where approval rates vary from 29% to 76%. An attorney can help you prepare your case for the specific standards of this bench.
The approval rate for Donald E. Garrison remained steady, moving from 78% in 2016 to 75% in 2017. This consistency across 878 total decisions on record suggests a stable decision-making pattern. If you are concerned about how your evidence will be viewed, an attorney can help you evaluate your case strategy.
No. The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm. You cannot choose your judge, which is why it is important to be prepared for any ALJ. An attorney can help you understand what to expect regardless of your assignment.
An approval rate is a probability based on past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. While Donald E. Garrison approved 76% of cases on record since 2016, your outcome depends on the specific medical evidence and testimony you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as strong as possible.
