Approval rates
Judge Gazda maintains a lifetime approval rate of 66% based on 22,883 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this rate reached 84%, which is 14 points higher than the San Antonio office average and 8 points above the national average. These figures provide a statistical look at past performance over a decade of service. 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 Gazda'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Gazda has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. While approval rates remained relatively steady between 60% and 66% for much of his tenure, the data shows a notable upward trend in the most recent years, reaching 85% in 2025. This shift may reflect changes in case mix or the quality of evidence presented in recent dockets. This pattern suggests a judge who has refined his decision-making process over a significant volume of cases.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Gazda'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 Gazda? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Antonio hearing office
The San Antonio Hearing Office serves a large population across Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a diverse array of cases requiring careful review of medical and vocational evidence. You can expect a professional environment focused on the specific merits of your application. See the San Antonio Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the San Antonio bench, lifetime approval rates for judges range from 39% to 66%. This variance highlights why focusing on your own medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare. 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.