Approval rates
Judge Griggs maintains a lifetime approval rate of 53% based on 3,060 lifetime decisions. Compared to the latest reporting period, this judge's approval rate is 5% lower than the Seattle office average and 5% below the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding historical decision-making tendencies. 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 Griggs'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 two-year tenure, Judge Griggs has demonstrated a shifting approval trend. The data shows an approval rate of 49% in 2016, which rose to 61% in 2017. This upward movement suggests that recent decisions have been more favorable than the early career average. Such fluctuations are common and may reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented in the courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Griggs'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 Griggs? A free benefit check tells you if you qualify.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle Hearing Office serves you across Washington, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 58%. When you appear here, you should be prepared for a formal process where your medical evidence is the primary factor in the judge's decision. You can see the Seattle Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Seattle Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 27% to 66%. This variance highlights why it is important to focus on the strength of your own medical documentation regardless of who is presiding. You can find more information on the Seattle 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.