Approval rates
When evaluating your case, it is helpful to look at how a judge's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Kramzyk's latest approval rate of 31% stands in contrast to the Billings Hearing Office average of 64% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant volume of 19,009 lifetime decisions, providing a stable look at historical trends. 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 Kramzyk'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 his 10 years on the bench, Judge Kramzyk has maintained a consistent approach to disability adjudication. While his approval rate has fluctuated annually—ranging from a low of 26% in 2021 to a high of 41% in 2017—the overall pattern remains steady. The most recent data shows a rate of 31%, which aligns closely with his long-term career average. This stability suggests that his decision-making process is well-established, reflecting a consistent application of Social Security Administration standards.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kramzyk'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 Kramzyk? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Billings hearing office
The Billings Hearing Office serves you throughout Montana and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 64%, the facility is a critical hub for regional SSDI processing. You can visit the Billings Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Billings Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 31% to 69%. Because you cannot choose your judge, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as looking at an individual's history.
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.