Knoxville Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Tennessee · SSA Region 04
Approval Rate
55.4%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
7 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
254 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,112
awaiting hearing
ALJs
8
active judges
Knoxville ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephanie M Jones | 76.1% | 23.9% | 68.1% | 138 | 171 |
| J. Elaine Burke | 71.6% | 28.4% | 65.4% | 81 | 91 |
| James Dixon | 65.4% | 34.6% | 60.2% | 347 | 408 |
| K. Dickson Grissom | 58.7% | 41.3% | 56.9% | 276 | 331 |
| Kerry Morgan | 56.7% | 43.3% | 56% | 282 | 302 |
| Gloria W Green | 50% | 50% | 42.9% | 14 | 14 |
| Todd Spangler | 33.3% | 66.7% | 33.3% | 3 | 3 |
| Joyce Francis | 13.6% | 86.4% | 11.2% | 206 | 279 |
About the Knoxville Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Knoxville service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Tennessee. The office is assigned to SSA Region 04 and has 8 active ALJs.
The office's average approval rate is 55.4%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. The rate aligns with national patterns, though individual judges at this office may vary above or below this average. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 13.6% to 76.1%, a 62-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 7 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 254 days. There are currently 1,112 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 139 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 49.3%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Knoxville Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Knoxville, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 7 months and 254 days average processing time, claimants at Knoxville can expect a total timeline of roughly 15 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Knoxville have collectively issued 1,347 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 168 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 3 to 347 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Knoxville Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Knoxville?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 13.6% to 76.1%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 49.3%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Knoxville?
What is the average case processing time at Knoxville?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 15 months. Note that wait times are point-in-time estimates from SSA reporting and may vary from month to month based on case volume and staffing changes.