Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, M. Thayne Warner's 86% approval rate sits alongside the Salt Lake City office rate of 52%, the Utah state rate of 52%, and the national average of 58%. These figures reflect recent activity and provide a clear view of the current decision environment.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Warner'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
Since October 2023, M. Thayne Warner has issued 1,139 decisions. The approval rate has remained consistent, with 84% in 2024, 84% in 2025, and 86% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. This indicates a stable pattern of decision-making over the period on record.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Warner'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.
About the Salt Lake City hearing office
The Salt Lake City Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Utah. As of the most recent record in July 2026, the office bench consists of 9 judges. Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, the office maintained an approval rate of 52%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Salt Lake City
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 4 judges who decided cases at the Salt Lake City office in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 31% to 86% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. There are 9 judges whose most recent office on record is this one.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Warner's 86%. No other judge in Utah is within 5 points, so these come from SSA's Denver region and other regions.
- 85% Approval rate, last 12 months Terrence Hugar
- 86% Approval rate, last 12 months James S. Elkins
- 86% Approval rate, last 12 months Dawn M. Gruenburg
- 86% Approval rate, last 12 months Stacy Paddack
- 86% Approval rate, last 12 months Helen F. Strong
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Warner and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, M. Thayne Warner's 86% approval rate is higher than the 52% average for the Salt Lake City office. Among the 4 judges active in the latest SSA file, the approval rates range from 31% to 86%. An attorney can help you understand how these differences might impact your specific case strategy.
M. Thayne Warner's approval rate has remained steady, with 84% in 2024 and 86% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. This consistency is based on 1,139 total decisions since October 2023. An attorney can help you prepare for a hearing regardless of these historical trends.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because assignment is random, it is important to be prepared for any judge at the Salt Lake City office. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where you, your attorney, and often a vocational or medical expert appear before the judge. The judge will ask questions about your work history and medical limitations to determine if you meet the criteria for disability. An attorney can help you organize your medical evidence and prepare for the specific questions M. Thayne Warner may ask.
