Approval rates
Judge Simmons maintains a lifetime approval rate of 60% based on 6,379 total decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this rate was 2 percentage points higher than the national average and 4 points above the state average. These figures reflect a significant volume of cases, providing a stable baseline for understanding judicial tendencies. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than individual hearing outcomes.
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 Simmons'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 four-year tenure, your judge has demonstrated an upward trend in approval rates. Starting at 51% in 2016, the rate climbed to 78% by 2019. This trajectory indicates an evolving approach to case evaluation or shifts in the complexity of the evidence presented. The latest period reflects a continuation of this growth in favorable outcomes.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Simmons'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 Simmons? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Denver hearing office
The Denver Hearing Office serves you and other applicants throughout Colorado and the surrounding region. It manages a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges, maintaining an office-wide latest approval rate of 62%. You can expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of medical and vocational evidence. You can visit the Denver Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Simmons is essentially random. Across the Denver Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates for the bench range from 45% to 62%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is critical, regardless of which judge is assigned to your file. The office's 6 ALJs provide a range of outcomes that reflect the diversity of cases heard in this region.
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.