Approval rates
In the most recent reporting period, Judge Torres maintained a 74% approval rate, which is 15 percentage points higher than the national average of 58%. This performance is also 5 points above the local office average of 68%. With a docket spanning 20,707 decisions, the data offers a stable view of how this judge evaluates evidence. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your individual outcome.
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 Torres'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, your judge's approval rate has shifted, moving from 92% in 2016 to 75% in 2025. The latest data indicates a 74% approval rate, suggesting a return to higher allowance levels following a period of relative stability. This pattern indicates that your judge remains consistently more likely to approve claims than the national median. These trends often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Torres'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 Torres? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the San Juan hearing office
The San Juan Hearing Office serves you throughout Puerto Rico, managing a high volume of cases with a team of 6 administrative law judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 68%, which is higher than the national average of 58%. You can expect a thorough review process that prioritizes your medical documentation and vocational testimony.
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. At the San Juan Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 43% to 83%, highlighting that the judge you draw can influence the hearing process. Regardless of which judge is assigned to your case, the core requirement remains the same: building a robust, evidence-based file.
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.