Approval rates
The approval rate for Stanley A. Moskal Jr. is based on 303 total decisions recorded between 2016 and 2017. This figure represents the percentage of claims that resulted in an allowance during that period.
Judge Moskal Jr. is not in SSA's latest disposition file, so there is no 12-month figure. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 29, 2017. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Judge Moskal Jr. isn't in SSA's latest disposition file, so the judge comparison tool, which compares active judges over the same 12 months, leaves them out.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Moskal Jr.'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
Stanley A. Moskal Jr. decided 303 cases between 2016 and 2017. The approval rate was 89% in 2016 and 88% in 2017. These figures indicate that the approval rate remained steady across the recorded period.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Moskal Jr.'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 Buffalo hearing office
The Buffalo hearing office is the most recent office on record for Stanley A. Moskal Jr. as of September 2017. This office maintains a bench of 18 judges whose most recent office on record is this location.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Buffalo
Among the 18 judges whose most recent office on record is Buffalo, the 5 judges who decided cases in the latest SSA file range from 45% to 55% in their approval rates on record since 2016.
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
Stanley A. Moskal Jr. holds an 89% approval rate on record through 2017. This sits above the 45% to 55% range seen among the 5 judges who decided cases in the latest SSA file at the Buffalo office. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific case.
The approval rate for Stanley A. Moskal Jr. was 89% in 2016 and 88% in 2017. This indicates the rate remained steady throughout his time on record. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of these historical patterns.
No. The Social Security Administration uses a random workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to judges. You cannot choose your judge, but an attorney can help you prepare for the hearing process regardless of who is assigned.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. Your outcome depends on the medical evidence and testimony you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as strong as possible before your hearing date.
