Approval rates
Judge Veal maintains a lifetime approval rate of 65%, which compares favorably to the latest national average of 58%. In the most recent reporting period, her 66% approval rate outperformed the Indianapolis Hearing Office average by 4 percentage points. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 21,794 lifetime decisions. 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 Veal'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 9-year tenure, your judge has seen fluctuations in approval patterns, ranging from a high of 78% in 2017 and 2024 to a low of 58% in 2022. This variance suggests that case mix and evidentiary standards play a significant role in annual outcomes. While the most recent data shows a 67% approval rate, the overall trend remains consistent with long-term performance. These shifts reflect the complex nature of disability adjudication.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Veal'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 Veal? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Indianapolis hearing office
The Indianapolis Hearing Office serves a broad population across Indiana, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 61%, which is higher than the state average of 59%. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can find more information on the Indianapolis Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Veal is essentially random. Across the Indianapolis office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 48% to 72%. This variation highlights why understanding the local bench is useful, even though the core requirements for proving disability remain constant.
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.