Approval rates
The Franklin TN hearing office features a bench with lifetime approval rates ranging from 29% to 76%. Troy M. Patterson’s 59% record sits within this range, reflecting the varied approaches taken by judges in this office. These figures are derived from thousands of cases, providing a view of historical trends. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your individual hearing outcome.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Patterson. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 25, 2020. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
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
Since 2016, Troy M. Patterson has issued 2,036 lifetime decisions. Your judge's yearly approval rates fluctuated from 61% in 2016 to 66% in 2017, 53% in 2018, 57% in 2019, and 64% in 2020. This movement reflects how the judge's approach responds to the specific evidence and case mix presented in each hearing.
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.
About the Franklin TN hearing office
The Franklin TN hearing office serves you and other claimants throughout the region. The office bench consists of 14 judges on record, maintaining an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 55%. You can expect a formal environment where the quality of your medical documentation is the primary factor in your outcome. You can visit the Franklin TN 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. There are 14 judges on record at this office since 2016, 10 of whom reported in the latest period. With approval rates across the bench spanning from 29% to 76%, the judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. The office's 14 ALJs range from 29% to 76% in their lifetime approval rates.
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
Troy M. Patterson’s 59% lifetime approval rate is within the 29% to 76% range seen across the 14 judges on record at the Franklin TN office. Because each judge weighs evidence differently, an attorney can help you understand how to tailor your medical records for this specific bench.
Your judge's approval rate has shown variance, starting at 61% in 2016 and reaching 64% by 2020. These shifts are common and often reflect changes in the types of cases or the quality of evidence presented. An attorney can help you prepare your case to ensure your evidence is as strong as possible.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, making the process random. Since you cannot choose your judge, an attorney can help you prepare for the hearing regardless of who is assigned.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical evidence and may hear testimony from you or vocational experts. Having an attorney can help you navigate the questioning and ensure your testimony clearly addresses the judge's concerns.
The 59% approval rate is a historical average, not a guarantee of how Troy M. Patterson will rule on your specific claim. Your outcome depends on the strength of your medical evidence and how well you meet the SSA's disability criteria. An attorney can help you evaluate your case strengths and prepare for the hearing.