Approval rates
Judge Ohanesian maintains a lifetime approval rate of 60% based on 25,208 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, your approval rate of 71% stands 2 points above the Grand Rapids Hearing Office average and 2 points above the SSA national average. These figures provide a statistical look at your tenure, though they do not guarantee a specific outcome for your case.
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 Ohanesian'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 your 10 years on the bench, you have shown an upward trend in approval rates. While your early years saw rates in the mid-50% range, your recent performance shows a consistent increase, reaching 72% in 2025. This recent activity represents a shift from your lifetime average, reflecting changes in case mix or evidentiary standards.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ohanesian'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 Ohanesian? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Grand Rapids hearing office
The Grand Rapids Hearing Office serves a significant portion of Michigan, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 58% in the latest reporting period. You can expect a rigorous review of your medical documentation and vocational history.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Grand Rapids Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 43% to 66%. Because each judge manages their courtroom differently, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful.
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.