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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
State Profile
Louisiana
LA · Region DAL
DDS approval rate
37.2%
-2.6 pts vs national
DDS approval rate
37.2%
National: 39.8%
3-year change
-2.6 pts
Annual receipts
37,828
FY2024
Hearing offices
4
21 ALJs
Latest monthly DDS data · 2026-06
Initial receipts
3,433
Initial determinations
3,978
Initial allowance rate
37.0%
Initial pending
22,859
Recon determinations
641
Recon allowance rate
19.7%
Hearing offices in Louisiana
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALEXANDRIA | 21 | 236 | 2,535 | 54.6% | 7 |
| METAIRIE | 38 | 242 | 1,623 | 54.0% | 6 |
| NEW ORLEANS | 110 | 272 | 1,751 | 48.1% | 6 |
| SHREVEPORT | 152 | 321 | 880 | 67.2% | 4 |
ALJs in Louisiana (21)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbondondelo, Mary | SHREVEPORT | 87.0% | 261 | 227 | |
| Volz, Louis J | NEW ORLEANS | 85.0% | 60 | 51 | |
| Molinar, Kathleen | ALEXANDRIA | 69.5% | 321 | 223 | |
| Smilie, Carolyn | ALEXANDRIA | 67.6% | 293 | 198 | |
| Grant, Robert | ALEXANDRIA | 67.5% | 323 | 218 | |
| Thomason, Samuel | DALLAS NORTH OHO | 63.3% | 215 | 136 | |
| Hansen, Holly | METAIRIE | 60.2% | 319 | 192 | |
| Antonowicz, John | LONG ISLAND | 58.7% | 201 | 118 | |
| Wiedemann, Karen | METAIRIE | 57.1% | 240 | 137 | |
| Juge, Christopher H. | METAIRIE | 56.3% | 144 | 81 | |
| Benedict, David | METAIRIE | 52.8% | 286 | 151 | |
| Daniels Smoke, Stephanie | ALEXANDRIA | 51.5% | 295 | 152 | |
| Exnicios, Richard M. | METAIRIE | 49.5% | 285 | 141 | |
| Hertzig, Michael S. | METAIRIE | 47.3% | 205 | 97 | |
| Morgan, Jeffery | NEW ORLEANS | 46.9% | 277 | 130 | |
| Wright, Charlotte A | SHREVEPORT | 45.9% | 122 | 56 | |
| Anderson, Monica J | NEW ORLEANS | 44.6% | 316 | 141 | |
| Ragona, Lawrence | ALEXANDRIA | 43.7% | 222 | 97 | |
| Fraiser, Jim | NEW ORLEANS | 42.2% | 294 | 124 | |
| Able, Devona | ALEXANDRIA | 41.6% | 267 | 111 | |
| Rachal, Steven | ALEXANDRIA | 36.5% | 326 | 119 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a Louisiana claim by condition, age, and stage.