Official SSA Data

Judge Richard Lafata - Approval Rate & Hearing Statistics

Charleston SC, South Carolina · SSA Region 04

Statistics cover the 12 months ending April 2025 — Judge Richard Lafata's most recent month with recorded decisions.

75.9%
Approval Rate

Reported through April 2025. SSA's files record no decisions by Judge Richard Lafata after April 2025, so the figures below cover the 12 months ending April 2025 rather than the 12 months ending July 2026 the rest of the site reports. The national average shown alongside them is measured over the same months. Judges with no current decisions are left out of rankings and comparisons.

Approval Rate

75.9%

vs 59.4% national, same period

Denial Rate

24.1%

of decisions

Fully Favorable

46.1%

of decisions

Total Decisions

245

12 months ending April 2025

Total Dispositions

300

12 months ending April 2025

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Judge Richard Lafata is not in the comparison tool, which covers judges with 50+ decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026

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Judge Richard Lafata Approval Rate Over Time

Historical approval rate for Judge Richard Lafata

Based on 8 monthly data points with 20+ decisions each, across Judge Richard Lafata's full record in SSA's files — not only the 12 months ending April 2025.

Understanding Judge Richard Lafata's Statistics

Judge Richard Lafata is an Administrative Law Judge at the Charleston SC hearing office. In the 12 months ending April 2025, this judge decided 245 cases, with an approval rate of 75.9%.

This approval rate is above the national average of 59.4%. This places the judge among those with higher-than-average approval rates.

Important: Past approval rates do not predict future outcomes. Each case is decided on its individual merits based on the evidence presented. Many factors influence outcomes beyond judge statistics, including the quality of medical evidence and legal representation.

Judge Richard Lafata Decision Breakdown

Favorable Decisions

Fully Favorable 46.1%
Partially Favorable 29.8%
Total Awards 75.9%

Unfavorable Decisions

Denials 24.1%
Dismissals 18.3%

About the Charleston SC Hearing Office

Judge Richard Lafata hears cases at the Charleston SC hearing office.

View all judges at Charleston SC
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Frequently Asked Questions About Judge Richard Lafata

What are my chances of approval with Judge Richard Lafata?
Judge Richard Lafata's approval rate is 75.9% for the 12 months ending April 2025. This includes both fully favorable (46.1%) and partially favorable decisions. View all judges for comparison.
How many disability hearings has Judge Richard Lafata conducted?
In the 12 months ending April 2025, the last twelve months in which Judge Richard Lafata recorded decisions, Judge Richard Lafata decided 245 cases and had 300 total dispositions (which includes dismissals). See methodology for definitions.
Is Judge Richard Lafata more favorable than other ALJs?
Judge Richard Lafata's approval rate of 75.9% is above the national average of 59.4%. See the dashboard for national trends.
Where is Judge Richard Lafata located?
Judge Richard Lafata hears cases at the Charleston SC hearing office in SSA Region 04. Browse other hearing offices nationwide.

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