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Judge Ratings for Jacksonville FL Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

October 29, 2024 Disability

The Quality of Jacksonville FL Social Security Hearing Judges

Bad news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Jacksonville! Jacksonville FL 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, Jacksonville FL Judges are far below average, namely 41%. Even worse, it appears that Jacksonville FL has six judges that have under 40% case approval rates. Yikes!

This page is for Jacksonville FL Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Deland, Gainesville, Jacksonville (North), Jacksonville (South), Lake City, Port Orange, or St. Augustine. For other locations in Florida click on:

Judge Ratings for Jacksonville FL Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Jacksonville FL 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 Jacksonville FL if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Deland, Gainesville, Jacksonville (North), Jacksonville (South), Lake City, Port Orange, or St. Augustine. The Jacksonville FL Social Security Hearing office is on Freedom Crossing Trail off of exit 341 of Route 95 via Prominence Parkway or you can get there via Phillips Highway (Route 1). 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 Jacksonville FL, 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:

Judge

Percent Approved

Total Dispositions

Terry, Ken B

35%

319

Porter, Bernard

46%

316

Morris, Scott T

32%

293

Landrum, Bruce

55%

270

Koster, Guy

49%

235

Greer, William H

38%

315

Furcolo, Richard

27%

376

Froehlich, Gregory J

38%

376

Fitzgerald, Kelley

41%

302

Droker, Robert

34%

263

Collins, Yelanda

64%

342

Totals

41%

3407

Social Security Disability Hearing Tip: There are a litany of questions that the Judge needs you to answer in order to adjudicate your case. If you are alleging physical impairments then the questions will be, for example: how long can you stand and walk before you have to sit down? How much weight can you lift and carry? How long can you sit until you have to lie down? There are more physical impairment questions, these aren’t the only ones. And some depend on what your physical impairment actually is. As for mental impairments, some questions are: how long can you concentrate? Do you ever think about hurting yourself? Again, these aren’t the only questions and the exact line of questioning will depend on your mental impairment. A Disability Lawyer serving Jacksonville FL, like us, can explain in more detail how direct questioning impacts your case and how a lawyer can help prepare you. Contact us for a free consultation or more information.

Case Approval Rates of Jacksonville FL Social Security Hearing Judges

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Jacksonville FL Judges are at 41%. 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 Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville FL Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge Richard Furcolo has the lowest case approval percentage at 27%. This rate is very low and consistent with a negative attitude towards claimants. We will never know, however, what is exactly in Judge Furcolo’s mind because the written decisions are almost all confidential. 

We can also see from the table that a whopping six (!) of the Judges are at 40% 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 40% 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 40%, 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 almost all of the 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 Jacksonville FL, 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 Jacksonville FL Social Security Hearing office is in Building 400, Suite 400, 8880 Freedom Crossing Trail, Jacksonville, FL 32256. 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 Jacksonville FL Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 931-0124.

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 Jacksonville FL, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.