Approval rates
Judge Siderius maintains a lifetime approval rate of 70% based on 10,463 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded a 78% approval rate, which compares favorably to the 72% office average and exceeds the 58% national average. These metrics provide a window into historical decision-making tendencies, though aggregate rates do not predict the outcome of 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 Siderius'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 10-year tenure, the approval pattern for Judge Siderius has shifted. After a period of relative stability between 2016 and 2023, the last two years have seen an increase in approval rates, reaching 83% in 2024 and 80% in 2025. This recent trend marks a departure from earlier, more moderate approval levels. Such patterns often reflect changes in the complexity of assigned cases or evolving standards in evidence evaluation.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Siderius'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 Siderius? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Spokane hearing office
The Spokane Hearing Office serves claimants across Washington and the surrounding region. It is staffed by 6 judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 72%, reflecting the regional landscape of SSDI adjudication. You can learn more about the local bench by visiting the Spokane Hearing Office page.
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. Within the Spokane Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 48% to 78%. This variance highlights why understanding the local judicial environment is useful for your preparation. Guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.