Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge McFadyen's lifetime approval rate of 53% is evaluated against the Kingsport Hearing Office latest rate of 56% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 5,448 lifetime decisions, offering a stable view of his historical approach. 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 McFadyen'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 2 years on the bench, Judge McFadyen has presided over 5,448 lifetime decisions. His approval rate has remained consistent, moving from 54% in 2016 to 53% in 2017. This stability suggests a predictable approach to case evaluation. The overall trend reflects a steady pattern of adjudication that has persisted throughout his tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge McFadyen'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 McFadyen? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Kingsport hearing office
The Kingsport Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Tennessee, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an approval rate that reflects the regional caseload and complexity of claims. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Kingsport 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 Kingsport Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 45% to 77%. This diversity highlights why focusing on your own medical evidence is critical. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.