Approval rates
When reviewing your case, it is helpful to understand how your judge's history compares to broader trends. Judge Haigler maintains an 83% lifetime approval rate, which is higher than the current national average of 58% and the state average of 57%. These figures are based on a docket of 19,927 lifetime decisions. 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 Haigler Jr.'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 10-year tenure, Judge Haigler has shown a steady trend of high approval rates. Starting at 72% in 2016, your judge's annual approval rate has remained strong, reaching 89% in the most recent reporting period. This latest performance represents an 18-point increase over the current office average. The data suggests a consistent judicial philosophy that has remained stable even as case volume has fluctuated year over year.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Haigler Jr.'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 Haigler Jr.? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Dallas North Oho hearing office
The Dallas North OHO serves a large population of claimants across Texas, managing a high volume of disability hearings. With a bench of 5 judges, the office handles a diverse range of medical and vocational evidence. The office-wide latest approval rate currently sits at 65%, which provides a baseline for the region. You can see the Dallas North OHO Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Dallas North OHO, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary widely, ranging from 24% to 88%. Because of this variance, understanding the landscape of your local office is a standard part of case preparation. You can find more information on the Dallas North OHO 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.