Approval rates
Judge Panek's lifetime approval rate of 43% is based on a docket of 16,725 decisions accumulated over 9 years on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, your judge's approval rate reached 46%, which remains lower than the current office average of 55% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a baseline for understanding how your case may be evaluated.
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 Panek'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 9-year tenure, Judge Panek has seen his approval rates fluctuate, with a notable dip between 2019 and 2021 before trending toward his current 46% latest-period rate. This pattern reflects a steady approach to case evaluation after a period of lower approval activity. The recent data suggests a stabilization in his decision-making process compared to the earlier years of his career.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Panek'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 Panek? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Akron OH hearing office
The Akron OH Hearing Office serves you throughout Ohio, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 55%, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You should be prepared for a thorough review of medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Akron OH Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot request a specific judge. At the Akron OH Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 43% to 60%. While your assigned judge is determined by random selection, the requirements for proving your disability remain consistent. You can find more information on the Akron OH 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.