Judges’ Ratings for Buffalo NY Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Buffalo NY 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 Buffalo if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in Batavia, Buffalo, Dunkirk, Jamestown, Niagara Falls, Olean, or Ridge Road. The Buffalo Social Security hearing office is located on Delaware Avenue a block away from City Hall. 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 Buffalo, 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:

Tip: When the Judge or your lawyer (if you have one) asks you a question, give a straight, to the point, truthful answer. After the answer, you can explain why you answered the way you did. If you have a lawyer (you should!), the lawyer will help clarify your answer if necessary by asking you follow-up questions. At the end of the hearing most judges also ask “would you like to say anything else in support of your case?” Then you’ll have a final chance to clarify your testimony. And if you’re searching for a Disability Lawyer serving Buffalo, call us!

The Quality of Buffalo NY Social Security Hearing Judges

Buffalo Social Security Hearing Judges range from good case approval ratings to pretty bad case approval ratings. That being said, it appears that Buffalo has a little less than average judges when it comes to case approval percentages. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see, Buffalo Judges are a little lower, namely 51%. You’ll also notice from the above table that a couple of judges are above average while a couple judges are below average. Many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. But many have very bad experiences in Buffalo 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 would I call biased.

For example, for Buffalo NY Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge William Weir has the lowest case approval percentage at 37%.  This rate is actually not very low and the Judge could very well be a reasonable person but just a little skeptical. That being said, if you draw a judge with below 40% approval rate then you will need a pretty good case to win. That usually means that if you’re under 50 you must have a very debilitating condition or being at least 50 or over with a debilitating physical condition. 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 Buffalo, NY, 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 out the photo above from the SSA hearing office locator website. It shows that Buffalo NY Social Security hearings are held on the 2nd Floor of 130 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202. 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 Buffalo Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 348-5819. 

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 Buffalo NY, no matter what stage your caseis in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.