Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Van Dyck maintains a lifetime approval rate of 51%, which is measured against the latest office-wide approval rate of 55% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 21,444 lifetime decisions, offering a look at historical trends. 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 Van Dyck'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 Van Dyck has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After an initial period of stability, the data shows periodic shifts, including a 58% approval rate in 2017 and a 55% rate in 2024. The most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 47%, which remains within the expected variance for this office. This trend suggests a judge who evaluates cases based on the specific evidence presented in each file.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Van Dyck'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 Van Dyck? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Fort Worth hearing office
The Fort Worth Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across Texas, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an active docket that reflects the regional demand for SSDI services. You can expect a professional environment where evidence quality is the primary driver of your case outcome. You can see the Fort Worth 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. Across the Fort Worth bench, the 6 ALJs have lifetime approval rates ranging from 30% to 51%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent regardless of who presides over your hearing. You can find more information on the Fort Worth 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.