Approval rates
Judge Pflugrath maintains a lifetime approval rate of 54% based on 14,485 total decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 60%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the Norfolk office average and 2 points above the state average. These figures provide a statistical view of his tenure over the last 10 years.
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 Pflugrath'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 decade on the bench, Judge Pflugrath has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After starting with higher approval rates in 2016 and 2017, the data shows a period of lower approval percentages between 2018 and 2021. However, the most recent years, 2024 and 2025, indicate a notable upward trend in favorable decisions. This recent shift reflects a change in the cases or evidence presented before him.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pflugrath'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 Pflugrath? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Norfolk hearing office
The Norfolk Hearing Office serves you across Virginia and is part of a regional network of offices handling disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an approval rate that reflects the diverse nature of the cases heard in this jurisdiction. You can visit the Norfolk Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Norfolk Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 49% to 55%. While each judge has a unique approach to evaluating evidence, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent.
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.