Approval rates
Judge Hodges has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 49% across 31,980 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this rate reached 52%, aligning with the Huntington WV Hearing Office average of 49% but remaining below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the judge's tenure. 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 Hodges'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 career, your judge's approval rate has shown a steady trajectory. After an initial rate of 42% in 2016, the data indicates a gradual stabilization, with recent years consistently hovering between 50% and 53%. This pattern suggests a predictable approach to case evaluation. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, which may offer clarity as you prepare your evidence.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hodges'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 Hodges? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Huntington WV hearing office
The Huntington WV Hearing Office serves a broad population across West Virginia, managing a significant volume of disability claims. With a bench of 3 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 49%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Huntington WV 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. Across the Huntington WV Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 45% to 56%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is critical. 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.