Judge Ratings for Fort Myers FL Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

The Quality of Fort Myers FL Social Security Hearing Judges

Good news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Fort Myers! Fort Myers FL Social Security Hearing Judges have a little above average case approval ratings. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Fort Myers FL Judges are a tad above average, namely 59%. Even better news, it appears that Fort Myers FL has three out of four judges who are at or above 59% and only one judge who is below average. Awesome! Note: We don’t count judges that have less than 50 dispositions because their case approval rates can change quite dramatically when they get a full year under their belts.

This page is for Fort Myers FL Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Ft. Myers, Naples, or Port Charlotte. For other locations in Florida click on:

• Disability Lawyer Central Florida
• Disability Lawyer South Florida
• Disability Lawyer Northern Florida

Judge Ratings for Fort Myers FL Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Fort Myers 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 Fort Myers FL if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Ft. Myers, Naples, or Port Charlotte. The Fort Myers FL Social Security Hearing office is on Colonial Boulevard right next to McGregor Baptist Church and about a half mile down the street from CarMax. 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 Fort Myers 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:

Social Security Disability Hearing Tip: There will be a Vocational Expert (VE) testifying in your hearing. He or she will testify about your “past relevant work” in order to give the judge enough information to construct one or more hypothetical situations that will help adjudicate your claim. The judge will give the VE hypothetical functional limitations that sound a lot like your limitations and the VE will tell the judge if a person with those limitations could perform work in the national economy. It will sound like the VE is deciding whether you are disabled or not, but that is not the case. The Judge decides whether or not you are disabled, the VE is simply responding to the Judge’s questions. A Disability Lawyer serving Fort Myers FL, like us, can explain in more detail how Vocational Expert 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 Fort Myers FL Social Security Hearing Judges

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Fort Myers FL Judges are at 59%. Still, many have very bad experiences in Fort Myers because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. And 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 might be called biased.

For example, for Fort Myers FL Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge Raymond Rodgers has the lowest case approval percentage at 45%. That is actually not that low and certainly still within the bounds of reason. Judge Rodgers could very possibly be just skeptical, and if so, that is hard to fault. Reasonable minds can differ sometimes.

We can also see from the table that only one of the Judges, Judge Rodgers, is at 45% or below, so there is a chance you will draw him. If you draw a judge with at or below 45% 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 45%, 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 most 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 Fort Myers 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 Fort Myers FL Social Security Hearing office is on the 2nd Floor, Suite 210, 3650 Colonial Boulevard, Ft. Myers, FL 33966. 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 Fort Myers FL Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (888) 462-1109.

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