Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes to ensure the data remains meaningful. Carrie Kerber's 48% approval rate on record since 2016 provides a baseline, while latest-period figures offer a view of more recent activity. These statistics are derived from 4,252 decisions on record. 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 Kerber'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
Since July 2016, your approval rate for Carrie Kerber has shown a varied trajectory. After a period of lower approval rates between 2017 and 2021, the data indicates a gradual upward trend in recent years. The latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 58%, which diverges from the long-term average on record. This recent shift may reflect changes in case mix or evidence quality presented in your hearings.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kerber'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.
About the Dayton hearing office
Carrie Kerber's most recent office on record is the Dayton hearing office, with decisions there through July 2026. This office serves you and other claimants across Ohio and maintains a bench of 8 judges. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 67%, reflecting the local environment for disability hearings.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Dayton
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 8 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 5 of them having decided cases here in the latest file from July 2026. Approval rates for this bench range from 46% to 69% on their records since 2016. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Carrie Kerber's approval rate on record since 2016 is 48%, which sits within the 46% to 69% range of the 8 judges whose most recent office on record is the Dayton hearing office. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
Yes, the data shows a trend of fluctuation. While the approval rate was 40% in 2021, it has risen to 59% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to the specific evidence in your case.
No. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. You cannot choose your judge, but an attorney can help you prepare for the hearing process regardless of the assignment.
A hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical evidence and hears your testimony. Having an attorney can help you organize your medical records and prepare your testimony to ensure your case is presented clearly.
An approval rate is a probability cloud based on past decisions, not a guarantee of a specific outcome for your hearing. Your case's success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and how well you document your limitations. An attorney can help you gather the necessary evidence to support your claim.
