Approval rates
Judge Petersen has maintained a consistent record over his 10 years on the bench, with a lifetime approval rate of 40% based on 23,499 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 41%, which compares to an office average of 52% and a national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the Savannah Hearing Office, though they should be viewed as a probability cloud rather than a fixed outcome for your specific 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 Petersen'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 decade-long tenure, Judge Petersen has seen his approval rates fluctuate, reaching a high of 50% in 2017 before trending toward a lower range in the early 2020s. Recent data shows a stabilization, with the 2024 and 2025 periods both recording a 41% approval rate. These patterns reflect the judge's long-term consistency in applying SSA regulations to the evidence presented in each case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Petersen'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 Petersen? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Savannah hearing office
The Savannah Hearing Office serves a significant population across Georgia, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a team of 6 administrative law judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 52%, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a random workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Savannah Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 37% to 73%, highlighting the natural variance in judicial decision-making. Regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain the same.
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.