Official SSA Data

Nhc Falls Church Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Virginia · SSA Region 12

Approval Rate

52.6%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

9 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

350 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

833

awaiting hearing

ALJs

12

active judges

Nhc Falls Church 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
William M Manico 88.3% 11.7% 65.7% 137 157
Rosanne M Dummer 82.2% 17.8% 72.6% 73 80
Tanya J Garrian 75% 25% 75% 4 4
Elizabeth Ebner 67.9% 32.1% 57.1% 56 61
B. Hannan 58.6% 41.4% 46.8% 186 224
Benjamin Chaykin 57.9% 42.1% 43.9% 164 197
Susan Smith 57.7% 42.3% 48.1% 104 113
Roxanne Fuller 42.9% 57.1% 42.9% 7 7
T. Kim 38.3% 61.7% 30.7% 300 350
Gregory Moldafsky 36% 64% 24.9% 197 241
Michael Carr 34.6% 65.4% 22.2% 81 94
Brian Battles 28.9% 71.1% 24.4% 135 153

About the Nhc Falls Church Social Security Hearing Office

Nhc Falls Church is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in Virginia. Operating within SSA Region 12, the office has 12 ALJs who preside over disability appeals. With 12 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.

The office's average approval rate is 52.6%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. A lower aggregate rate does not necessarily indicate stricter standards — it may reflect differences in case demographics, representation quality, or the types of conditions presented at hearings. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 28.9% to 88.3%, a 59-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 9 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 350 days. There are currently 833 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 69 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 46.2%. 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 Nhc Falls Church Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Nhc Falls Church, 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 9 months and 350 days average processing time, claimants at Nhc Falls Church can expect a total timeline of roughly 21 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Nhc Falls Church have collectively issued 1,444 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 120 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 4 to 300 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Nhc Falls Church Hearing Office FAQ

How often are disability cases approved at Nhc Falls Church?
The average ALJ approval rate at Nhc Falls Church is 52.6% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 28.9% to 88.3%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 46.2%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Nhc Falls Church?
The Nhc Falls Church office has 12 administrative law judges. Of these, 10 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 4 to 300 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
What is the average case processing time at Nhc Falls Church?
The current average wait time at Nhc Falls Church is 9 months. This is longer than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 350 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 21 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is office data calculated?
With 12 judges handling cases, this is one of the larger hearing offices. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. All statistics are drawn from publicly available SSA disposition data, updated periodically as new fiscal year reports become available.
How often do judges at Nhc Falls Church issue fully favorable decisions?
When a judge issues a fully favorable ruling, benefits begin from the claimant's requested onset date. A partially favorable ruling still awards benefits but may adjust the onset to a later date, which affects retroactive payments. The approval rate combines both outcome types. At Nhc Falls Church, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 46.2%.
Is Nhc Falls Church's approval rate higher or lower than nearby offices?
Of the 5 hearing offices in Virginia, Nhc Falls Church ranks 2 of 5 with an approval rate of 52.6%. In terms of wait time, Nhc Falls Church ranks 3 of 5 (9 months). Visit the Virginia overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.