Judge Ratings for Hartford CT Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

The Quality of Hartford CT Social Security Hearing Judges

Bad news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Hartford! Hartford CT Social Security Hearing Judges have way below average case approval ratings. Very bad! The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Hartford CT Judges are far below average, namely 46%. Even worse, it appears that Hartford CT has five out of six judges that are below the national average. Yikes! Note: we don’t consider in our analysis those judges that have less than 50 dispositions (decisions plus dismissals), because as they get more dispositions their case approval rate usually changes dramatically.

This page is for Hartford CT Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Bristol, East Hartford, Hartford, Meriden, Middleton, New Britain, Torrington, Waterbury, or Willimantic. For other locations around Connecticut click on:

• Disability Lawyer New Haven CT
• Disability Lawyer Boston MA
• Disability Lawyer Providence RI
• Disability Lawyer New York City

Judge Ratings for Hartford CT Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Hartford CT Social Security Hearing for Disability or SSI scheduled in the Office of Hearing Operations (OHO)? Do you want to know everything you can about the where, why and how of the hearing itself? You’re not alone, most of our clients desperately want to know every detail of their Disability Hearing so that they have the best chance of winning. You might have a hearing in Hartford CT if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Bristol, East Hartford, Hartford, Meriden, Middleton, New Britain, Torrington, Waterbury, or Willimantic. The Hartford CT Social Security Hearing office is in the William Cotter Federal Building on High Street right next to Hartford Union Station. You can find the name of your judge on a hearing scheduled notice or call the number for the hearing office (at the bottom of this page). Here are all the judges’ statistics and other information that you need, and if you’re looking for a Disability Lawyer serving Hartford CT, don’t hesitate to call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.

Judges’ Statistics

The following table is up to date as of October 2024:

Social Security Disability Hearing Tip:If your case gets denied by the Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) it is called an Unfavorable Decision, in other words the ALJ found you not disabled. If the ALJ finds you disabled, but disagrees with your Alleged Disability Onset date (the date when you claim you became disabled), it is called a Partially Favorable Decision. If the ALJ approves your case, or grants a Fully Favorable, then he or she has found you disabled and will award you all of the back pay you requested (provided you meet all of the non-medical program rules). A Disability Lawyer serving Hartford CT, like us, can explain in more detail how the ALJ’s decision impacts your case and how a lawyer can help prepare you for the hearing. Contact us for a free consultation or more information.

Case Approval Rates of Hartford CT Social Security Hearing Judges

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Hartford CT Judges are at 46%. Still, many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. And many have very bad experiences in Hartford because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. The judges there are doing the best they can. Do they get decisions wrong sometimes? Of course, they are human. Only those with very low case approval rates might be called biased.

For example, for Hartford CT Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge John Aletta has the lowest case approval percentage at 22%. This rate is very low and consistent with a negative attitude towards claimants. We will never know, however, what is exactly in Judge Aletta’s mind because the written decisions are almost all confidential.

We can also see from the table that five out of six of the Judges are at 53% or below, so there is a very good chance you will draw one of these judges. If you draw a judge with at or below average approval rate then you will need a very good case to win, usually with lots of medical evidence and an opinion from a medical expert that you are disabled. Make sure you get all of your relevant medical records and try to get a supporting letter from your doctor. To win with a judge at or under the average, if you’re under age 50 you probably have to have a condition that stops you from working at all (not just part time) or being at least age 50 or over with a physical condition that prevents the ability to stand and walk for a prolonged period of time. In both cases, you may lose if you have sedentary work experience. Click here to get more information about the rules, or a Disability Lawyer serving Hartford CT, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation.

Where Will My Hearing Be Held?

Most hearings will be held by phone, the judge’s clerk will call your phone and place you in a conference call. The whole hearing will be held via conference call, it’s actually very efficient. If you have a lawyer the evidence is submitted electronically before the hearing.

If you don’t have a lawyer you’ll have to bring your evidence to the hearing office or mail it in. You can request an in-person hearing, but we don’t advise it. If you do have a in-person hearing or need to submit evidence, check the SSA hearing office locator website. The Hartford CT Social Security Hearing office is in the William R. Cotter Federal Building, 135 High Street, Room 331, Hartford, CT 06103-1193. You’ll go through the metal detectors – don’t bring any weapons, even a pocket knife, or they won’t let you in. Then check in with the staff and wait to be called for your hearing. If you need to reach the Hartford CT Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 931-2878.

What should I do if I need help with my hearing?

If you do not have a lawyer yet, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presiding over your case will almost always give you a postponement to try to get a lawyer. These hearings are very difficult without a lawyer, and the ALJs rarely get the evidence they need unless a lawyer is involved. If you need a Disability Lawyer serving Hartford CT, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.