Back to all offices
Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
CHATTANOOGA
Region 04Rank #108 of 160
Avg processing
271days
+5 vs national
Processing time
271
9.0 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,189
FY receipts
2,343
FY dispositions
1,713
Active judges
9
Video hearings
36%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
66.6%
+8.8 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.37
Growing
Rank
#108
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 9 judges
52%
90%
0%Median 60.9%100%
At CHATTANOOGA, approval rates range from 51.8% (Morehead, Suhirjahaan) to 89.8% (McHenry, Laura) — a 38-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (60.9%), not the best case.
Judges at CHATTANOOGA (9)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McHenry, Laura | 89.8% | 127 | 114 | 13 | |
| Case, John | 86.8% | 333 | 289 | 44 | |
| Lappin, Randi E | 70.5% | 44 | 31 | 13 | |
| Dail, Grant | 67.5% | 191 | 129 | 62 | |
| BENEDICT, LAUREN LOGAN | 60.9% | 284 | 173 | 111 | |
| Kliner, Wesley R | 60.8% | 51 | 31 | 20 | |
| Luffman-Minor, Kristie | 57.4% | 256 | 147 | 109 | |
| Lewis, Jason A. | 55.9% | 195 | 109 | 86 | |
| Morehead, Suhirjahaan | 51.8% | 247 | 128 | 119 |