Approval rates
Judge Kostol has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 49% over her 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate reached 52%, which is 9 percentage points below the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 18,281 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 Kostol'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 the past decade, your judge's approval rates have fluctuated, starting at 54% in 2016 and reaching a low of 45% in 2020 and 2023. The most recent data from 2024 and 2025 shows an upward trend, with approval rates of 51% and 52% respectively. This recent activity suggests a shift from the mid-tenure period, though the lifetime average remains anchored by her full decade of service.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kostol'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 Kostol? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Morgantown hearing office
The Morgantown Hearing Office serves you across West Virginia and surrounding areas. It is staffed by 6 administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 58%, which is consistent with the national average. You can visit the Morgantown 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 you cannot choose your judge. Within the Morgantown Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 49% to 66%. While these rates vary, the fundamental requirements for proving disability under Social Security Administration guidelines remain consistent for you. You can view the Morgantown Hearing Office page for more information on the local bench.
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.