Approval rates
Comparing performance requires looking at both lifetime averages and recent trends. Judge Heath has presided over 18,632 lifetime decisions, providing a significant data set to evaluate. While the latest approval rate of 34% is notable, it is essential to view this against the broader context of the Franklin office and national benchmarks. 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 Heath'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 Heath has seen fluctuations in approval rates, ranging from a high of 43% in 2017 to a low of 23% in 2022. The data shows a period of decline followed by a modest recovery, with the latest period showing a 34% approval rate. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical documentation presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Heath'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 Heath? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Franklin TN hearing office
The Franklin TN Hearing Office serves a large population across Tennessee, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 53%, which is lower than the national average of 58%. You should expect a professional environment focused on the strict application of 20 CFR Part 404 disability regulations.
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. The Franklin office features a bench of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 30% to 63%. Because you cannot choose your judge, understanding the general environment of the office is more practical than focusing on individual peer comparisons.
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.