Approval rates
This table compares the approval rates of Yeline Quinones-Regalado against the benchmarks at the San Juan Hearing Office, Puerto Rico, and the national average. These figures are calculated over the 12-month window ending July 31, 2026. With 492 decisions in this period, the data reflects recent activity at the office.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Quinones-Regalado'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 December 2017, Yeline Quinones-Regalado has issued 3,516 decisions on record. The approval rate has fluctuated over this period, showing a peak in 2021 before reaching 82% in the most recent 12-month window. This recent rate is consistent with the 83% average recorded since 2017.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Quinones-Regalado'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 San Juan hearing office
The San Juan Hearing Office is the most recent office on record for Yeline Quinones-Regalado as of July 2026. There are 12 judges whose most recent office on record is this location, with 8 of them having decided cases in the latest SSA file. The office recorded a 71% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is San Juan
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm. Among the 12 judges whose most recent office on record is San Juan, 8 judges decided cases here in SSA's latest file. These 8 judges range from 48% to 84% in their approval rates over the 12-month window.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Quinones-Regalado's 82%. Three of them last decided cases in Puerto Rico. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's New York region.
- 84% Approval rate, last 12 months Ruy V. Diaz
- 78% Approval rate, last 12 months Judith Torres
- 78% Approval rate, last 12 months Angel X. Viera-Vargas
- 82% Approval rate, last 12 months Margaret L. Pecoraro
- 81% Approval rate, last 12 months Karen Patterson
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Quinones-Regalado and the three closest side by side →
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
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Yeline Quinones-Regalado approved 82% of cases, which is higher than the 71% office average. Among the 8 judges in the latest SSA file, approval rates range from 48% to 84%. An attorney can help you understand how these local trends may impact your hearing strategy.
Yeline Quinones-Regalado has an 83% approval rate across 3,516 decisions on record since December 2017. While the rate has shifted year-to-year, the most recent 12-month figure of 82% remains consistent with this long-term record. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of your hearing.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency across the San Juan office. Because you cannot influence this assignment, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare. An attorney can help you organize your records.
An approval rate is a summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Every case is unique, and your success depends on the medical evidence and testimony you present. An attorney can help you organize your records to ensure your case is as strong as possible.
