Judge Ratings for New Haven CT Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

The Quality of New Haven CT Social Security Hearing Judges
Bad news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in New Haven! New Haven 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, New Haven CT Judges are far below average, namely 40%. Even worse, it appears that New Haven CT has five out of six judges that are below the national average. Yikes!
This page is for New Haven CT Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Ansonia, Bridgeport, Danbury, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Norwich, or Stamford. For other locations around Connecticut click on:
- Disability Lawyer Hartford CT
- Disability Lawyer Boston MA
- Disability Lawyer Providence RI
- Disability Lawyer New York City
Judge Ratings for New Haven CT Social Security Hearings
Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your New Haven 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 New Haven CT if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Ansonia, Bridgeport, Danbury, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Norwich, or Stamford. The New Haven CT Social Security Hearing office is in the Connecticut Financial Center, which is right across the New Haven Green from the Yale University Old Campus. 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 New Haven 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:
Judge | Percent Approved | Total Dispositions |
Boyd, Eskunder | 55% | 489 |
Harrington, I. K | 35% | 328 |
Horton, Deirdre R | 45% | 281 |
Kuperstein, Matthew | 33% | 181 |
Molleur, John T | 29% | 225 |
Thomas, Ronald J | 29% | 278 |
Totals | 40% | 1782 |
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 New Haven 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 New Haven CT Social Security Hearing Judges
The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and New Haven CT Judges are at 40%. 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 New Haven 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 New Haven CT Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge John Molleur and Administrative Law Judge Ronald Thomas are tied for the lowest case approval percentage at 29%. This rate is very low but could possibly reflect a reasonable skepticism and a run of poorly evidenced or outright weak cases. Or it may reflect a negative attitude towards claimants. Unfortunately we will probably never know why judges like this have low approval rates because most of the written decisions are kept confidential.
We can also see from the table that all six of the Judges are at 55% 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 New Haven 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 New Haven CT Social Security Hearing office is in the Connecticut Financial Center, 157 Church Street, 7th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510. 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 New Haven CT Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 613-2750.
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 New Haven CT, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.