Approval rates
Judge Saragas maintains a lifetime approval rate of 51% based on 17,283 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 51%, which is 1 point below the Lexington office average and 7 points below the national average. These figures are derived from a significant decade-long docket, providing a stable view of his decision-making history. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not 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 Saragas'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Saragas has seen his approval rates fluctuate, ranging from a low of 42% in 2018 to a high of 64% in 2017. The trend has shown moderate volatility, with recent years like 2024 seeing a return to 56% before settling at 52% in 2025. This pattern suggests that while his overall lifetime average is 51%, his recent output reflects a continuation of this steady, mid-range decision-making approach.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Saragas'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 Saragas? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Lexington hearing office
The Lexington Hearing Office serves you across Kentucky, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 52% in the latest reporting period. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Lexington 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 your assignment to Judge Saragas is essentially random. Across the Lexington office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 54%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent regardless of which judge presides. You can find the full ALJ roster on the Lexington 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.