Tacoma Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Washington · SSA Region 10
Approval Rate
67.1%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
9 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
331 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,489
awaiting hearing
ALJs
6
active judges
Tacoma 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Lee | 100% | N/A | 100% | 1 | 5 |
| Margaret M Sullivan | 89.3% | 10.7% | 83.7% | 338 | 418 |
| Mark Triplett | 49.7% | 50.3% | 43% | 358 | 461 |
| David Johnson | 45.4% | 54.6% | 34.8% | 348 | 452 |
| Allen G Erickson | 31.7% | 68.3% | 19.7% | 142 | 193 |
| M. S Kidd | N/A | 100% | N/A | 2 | 3 |
About the Tacoma Social Security Hearing Office
The Tacoma hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Washington. This office is in SSA Region 10 and currently has 6 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 67.1%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. This higher-than-average rate reflects the combined decision patterns of all judges at this office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 0% to 100%, a 100-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 331 days. There are currently 1,489 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 248 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 46.9%. 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 Tacoma Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Tacoma, 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 331 days average processing time, claimants at Tacoma can expect a total timeline of roughly 20 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Tacoma have collectively issued 1,189 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 198 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 358 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Tacoma Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Tacoma?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 0% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 46.9%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Tacoma?
How long is the wait time at Tacoma?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 20 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.