Approval rates
The 52% approval rate for Juan E. Milanes since 2017 provides a broad view of his decision history, while the latest-period data allows for a direct comparison against the Morgantown office, state, and national benchmarks. With 3,067 total decisions on record, the data offers a stable foundation for understanding his historical patterns. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific 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 Milanes'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 rate for Juan E. Milanes has remained steady since 2017, with yearly fluctuations between 48% and 56%. Over the 3,067 decisions on record, he has maintained a consistent approach to case evaluation. While his latest-period approval rate of 52% aligns with his long-term average, it sits 8 percentage points below the Morgantown office average for the same period. This pattern indicates that his recent decisions reflect a continuation of his established methodology.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Milanes'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.
About the Morgantown hearing office
The Morgantown hearing office is the most recent office on record for Juan E. Milanes as of July 2026. The bench consists of 10 judges with varying approval histories. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 60%, which provides context for the local hearing environment.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Morgantown
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 10 judges whose most recent office on record is the Morgantown hearing office, with 4 of them deciding cases in the latest SSA file. Approval rates across this bench range from 21% to 67% on their respective records.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Juan E. Milanes has a 52% approval rate on record since 2017. In the latest reporting period, his approval rate was 8 percentage points lower than the Morgantown office average of 60%. An attorney can help you prepare your case by understanding these local benchmarks.
The approval rate for Juan E. Milanes has stayed within a consistent range, moving from 53% in 2018 to 52% in the most recent partial 2026 data. While there are yearly variations, the overall pattern remains steady. An attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might impact your specific claim.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because assignment is random, it is vital to be prepared for any judge by working with an experienced attorney.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical evidence and testimony. You will likely answer questions about your work history and physical or mental limitations. An attorney can help you organize your medical records and prepare your testimony to ensure your case is presented clearly.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case's success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and how well it meets SSA criteria. An attorney can help you identify and fill gaps in your evidence to strengthen your position.
