Who decides cases at this office
The panel of 10 judges at this office exhibits a wide spread in outcomes, with allowance rates ranging from 48% to 94%. Because of this significant variation, the judge you draw can influence the tone and focus of your hearing. While cases are assigned randomly, each judge weighs evidence differently, so your file must be prepared to meet the highest standard of proof regardless of who presides.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael R. Swan | 80% | 22,246 | |
| 2 | Eduardo Soto | 78% | 6,901 | |
| 3 | John E. Case | 75% | 30,561 | |
| 4 | James E. Deen Jr. | 71% | 1,828 | |
| 5 | Michael L. Brownfield | 70% | 14,888 | |
| 6 | Frederick McGrath | 66% | 18,552 | |
| 7 | Angela Saindon | 61% | 20,499 | |
| 8 | Wesley R. Kliner | 61% | 26,701 | |
| 9 | Randi E. Lappin | 60% | 24,253 | |
| 10 | William O. Gray | 58% | 10,036 | |
| 11 | Kristie Luffman-Minor | 56% | 22,881 | |
| 12 | Lauren L. Benedict | 56% | 29,421 | |
| 13 | Carey Jobe | 55% | 15,785 | |
| 14 | Jeannie S. Bartlett | 46% | 3,182 | |
| 15 | Ronald J. Feibus | 45% | 3,382 | |
| 16 | Suhirjahaan Morehead | 40% | 23,953 |
Heading to an ALJ hearing? Get a free case review to prepare for your hearing.
Free Benefits ReviewHow long you'll wait
At Chattanooga, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 7 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
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.
Going to your hearing
Hearings at this office move faster than the national average, with a 7-month wait that has remained steady recently. You should use this time to organize your medical history, specifically focusing on records generated after your initial denial. Your hearing will typically last about an hour, during which an ALJ will preside and a vocational expert will likely testify regarding your ability to perform work. You must submit all new evidence well before the hearing date, as last-minute additions are restricted. Bring an updated list of your medications, including side effects, and a log of your daily activities to help the judge understand your functional limitations. A decision will generally arrive by mail several weeks after the proceedings conclude.
When a panel's allowance rates span 46 points, your file must be strong enough that no judge can dismiss it due to weak documentation. While the 70% allowance rate in Chattanooga is encouraging, cases that fail often do so because they do not anticipate the vocational expert's questions about transferable skills. Preparing your evidence to address these specific inquiries is a standard part of the hearing process.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Chattanooga, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.