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Judge Ratings for Montgomery AL Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

October 10, 2024 Disability

The Quality of Montgomery Social Security Hearing Judges

Good news if you have a hearing in Montgomery! Montgomery Social Security Hearing Judges have some of the better case approval ratings in the nation. That being said, it appears that Montgomery does have two judges who are below the national average. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Montgomery Judges are higher, namely 57%.

This page is for Montgomery Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Alexander City, Anniston, Auburn, Montgomery, or Selma. For Andalusia, Dothan, Fairhope, Jackson, Mobile, Ft. Walton Beach, FL, or Pensacola, FL Social Security Hearings click on Judge Ratings for Mobile, AL. For Cullman, Florence, or Huntsville click on Judge Ratings for Florence AL. For Albertville, Bessemer, Birmingham (Downtown), Birmingham (East), Gadsden, Jasper, Talladega, or Tuscaloosa Social Security Hearings click on Judge Ratings for Birmingham AL

Judge Ratings for Montgomery Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Montgomery 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 oldalone, 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 Montgomery if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or nearAlexander City, Anniston, Auburn, Montgomery, or Selma. The Montgomery Social Security Hearing office is on Carmichael Road between Exits 4 and 6 of Route 85. 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 Montgomery, 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

Akins, George M

60%

231

Barnett-Jefferson, Reni F

55%

356

Evans, Vickie

25%

4

Intoccia, Vincent P

71%

392

Isaacs, Davida H

0%

1

Langland, John B

46%

317

Latham, Carol L

27%

352

Naylor, Amy H

56%

187

South, Ricky V

63%

394

Strong, Claire R

78%

357

Totals

57%

2591

Tip: The most difficult case to prove is an autoimmune disease like lupus or a nerve disease like fibromyalgia or Parkinson’s. The reason being that most of the symptoms are self-reported and there are very few tests that show severity. There are physical signs that a doctor can spot, like tremor with Parkinson’s, but most doctors do not document these signs well. There are things you can tell your doctor that will help, and a Disability Lawyer serving Montgomery, like us, can explain them to you. Contact us for a free consultation or more information.

Case Approval Rates and What They Mean

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Montgomery Judges are at 57%. Still, many have very bad experiences in Montgomery because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. But many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. 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 would I call biased.

For example, for Montgomery Social Security hearings, we disregard the two judges with less than 50 “total dispositions” which means a combination of decisions and dismissals. Less than 50 is not enough to base an analysis on because their approval rates will probably change when they have more dispositions under their belts. Of the other judges, Administrative Law Judge Carol Latham has the lowest case approval percentage at 27%. That is actually a very low approval rate but still within the bounds of reason. She may be very conservative, and is probably very skeptical also. The last thing these judges want to do is give someone a Disability Check who is not really disabled, just lazy.  If you draw a judge with below 30% approval rate then you will need a very good case to win, usually with tons of medical evidence. 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 under 30%, if you’re under age 50 you probably have to have a completely debilitating condition or being at least age 50 or over with a physical condition that almost completely prevents the ability to stand and walk at all. 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 Montgomery, 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 Montgomery Social Security Hearing office is in Suite 200 of 4344 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106. 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 Montgomery Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 931-9032.

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