Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader trends provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Mattimore's lifetime approval rate of 50% is measured against the Buffalo Hearing Office latest rate of 53% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 8,436 lifetime decisions, offering a stable look at historical patterns. 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 Mattimore'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 her 6-year tenure, Judge Mattimore's approval rates have shown a notable evolution. After an initial period, the rate dipped to 43% in 2018 before trending upward to 58% by 2021. This trajectory suggests a shift in case outcomes over time, moving from a lower point back toward the office average. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, which may be influenced by changes in the types of cases assigned to your docket.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Mattimore'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 Mattimore? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Buffalo hearing office
The Buffalo Hearing Office serves a significant population across New York, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 53%. You should expect a formal process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can view the full ALJ roster on the Buffalo Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your judge is assigned randomly. Within the Buffalo Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 54%. While these variations exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent across all judges. You can find the full roster of judges on the Buffalo 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.