Approval rates
Judge Kurbegov has maintained a 75% lifetime approval rate over a 3-year tenure, a figure derived from 5,553 total decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this rate reached 82%, which is 13 percentage points higher than the Denver Hearing Office average and 17 points above the national average. These metrics are based on a significant volume of cases, providing a stable statistical baseline. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Kurbegov'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
The approval trend for Judge Kurbegov shows a shift, moving from 73% in 2023 to 70% in 2024, before rising to 83% in 2025. This recent uptick suggests a period of increased allowance rates that diverges from the earlier years of their tenure. With 5,553 lifetime decisions, the judge has established a clear record of how they weigh evidence in disability claims. The latest period reflects a continuation of this upward trend in favorable decisions.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kurbegov'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 Kurbegov? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Denver hearing office
The Denver Hearing Office serves a broad population across Colorado, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 62%, which serves as a benchmark for the region. You can expect a rigorous review process where medical documentation and vocational expert testimony play critical roles in the outcome. See the Denver 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 Denver Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 45% to 75%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focus on the strength of your medical evidence and testimony. You can view the full list of judges at the Denver Hearing Office page.
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.