Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks provides context for the hearing process. Judge Triplett has issued 20,422 lifetime decisions, establishing a significant statistical record. While his latest approval rate of 50% is 16 points below the national average, this figure is based on a specific period of activity. 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 Triplett'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 Triplett has seen fluctuations in his annual approval rates. After a period of lower approval percentages between 2017 and 2021, the data shows a shift toward higher approval rates in 2023 and 2025. This variation suggests that the judge's decision-making pattern is responsive to changes in case evidence or legal standards over time. The latest period reflects a continuation of this recent trend toward higher approval outcomes.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Triplett'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 Triplett? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tacoma hearing office
The Tacoma Hearing Office serves you across Washington, managing a high volume of disability cases with a team of 6 administrative law judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 58%, reflecting the regional landscape of SSDI claims. You can expect a formal process focused on the specific medical documentation provided in your files. See the Tacoma Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Tacoma Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 31% to 72%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is essential. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same 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.