Approval rates
This table displays the approval rate for Douglas G. White based on data collected since 2016. The figures represent the percentage of your Social Security Disability Insurance claims that resulted in an allowance. With a total of 1,546 decisions on record, this data provides a view of past activity at the Kingsport office. These rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Judge White is not in SSA's latest disposition file, so there is no 12-month figure. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 27, 2019. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Judge White isn't in SSA's latest disposition file, so the judge comparison tool, which compares active judges over the same 12 months, leaves them out.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge White'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
Douglas G. White decided 1,546 cases between 2016 and 2019. The approval rate was 84% in 2016, 90% in 2017, 90% in 2018, and 82% in 2019. These figures show the year-by-year approval pattern for the judge's recorded decisions.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge White'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 Kingsport hearing office
The Kingsport hearing office is the most recent office on record for Douglas G. White, with the last recorded decision occurring in September 2019. There are 15 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. You can find more information about the office's current panel on the Kingsport Hearing Office page.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Kingsport
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Approval rates vary across the bench, and the 8 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file range from 42% to 73% on their since-2016 records. This range reflects the performance of the current panel at the Kingsport office.
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
Douglas G. White has an 88% approval rate on record since 2016. This sits above the 42% to 73% range observed among the 8 judges who decided cases at this office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of your hearing.
The approval rate for Douglas G. White was 84% in 2016, 90% in 2017, 90% in 2018, and 82% in 2019. These figures reflect the 1,546 total decisions on record. An attorney can help you understand how these past trends might relate to your own case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you focus on the evidence in your claim.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where an administrative law judge reviews the evidence in your file. You may be asked questions about your medical condition and your ability to perform work-related tasks. An attorney can help you organize your medical records and prepare for the hearing process.
