Approval rates
Judge Patterson’s 59% lifetime approval rate is based on a docket of 13,042 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this judge’s approval rate outperformed the Franklin TN office average by 6 percentage points and exceeded both the state and national averages by 1 point. These figures offer a perspective on the judge's history, though aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predictions for your individual 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 Patterson'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 a 5-year tenure, Judge Patterson has shown a varied yearly trend in approval rates, ranging from 54% in 2018 to 64% in 2017 and 2020. This fluctuation suggests that your case outcome is sensitive to the specific evidence and case mix presented. The recent trend reflects a return to the higher end of this judge's historical range, indicating that your individual case outcome remains dependent on the strength of the medical evidence you provide.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Patterson'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 Patterson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Franklin TN hearing office
The Franklin TN Hearing Office serves a large population across Tennessee, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 53%, which serves as a benchmark for the region. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Franklin TN Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Franklin TN Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 42% to 63%. Because of this variance, your experience may differ depending on the judge assigned to your hearing. You can review the full office roster on the Franklin TN 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.