Back to all states
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 · 2026-03
Initial receipts
3,558
Initial determinations
3,555
Initial allowance rate
39.3%
Initial pending
28,096
Recon determinations
803
Recon allowance rate
17.9%
Hearing offices in Louisiana
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALEXANDRIA | 24 | 236 | 2,512 | 54.2% | 7 |
| METAIRIE | 34 | 240 | 1,606 | 53.8% | 6 |
| NEW ORLEANS | 106 | 270 | 1,774 | 47.0% | 6 |
| SHREVEPORT | 150 | 317 | 993 | 66.9% | 4 |
ALJs in Louisiana (21)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbondondelo, Mary | SHREVEPORT | 88.0% | 209 | 184 | |
| Volz, Louis J | NEW ORLEANS | 85.0% | 60 | 51 | |
| Smilie, Carolyn | ALEXANDRIA | 70.2% | 248 | 174 | |
| Grant, Robert | ALEXANDRIA | 69.0% | 271 | 187 | |
| Molinar, Kathleen | ALEXANDRIA | 67.9% | 280 | 190 | |
| Thomason, Samuel | DALLAS NORTH OHO | 62.9% | 175 | 110 | |
| Hansen, Holly | METAIRIE | 60.6% | 284 | 172 | |
| Antonowicz, John | SHREVEPORT | 57.2% | 159 | 91 | |
| Juge, Christopher H. | METAIRIE | 56.3% | 144 | 81 | |
| Wiedemann, Karen | METAIRIE | 55.8% | 217 | 121 | |
| Daniels Smoke, Stephanie | ALEXANDRIA | 52.9% | 257 | 136 | |
| Benedict, David | METAIRIE | 51.6% | 248 | 128 | |
| Exnicios, Richard M. | METAIRIE | 49.0% | 253 | 124 | |
| Hertzig, Michael S. | METAIRIE | 48.6% | 179 | 87 | |
| Wright, Charlotte A | SHREVEPORT | 46.7% | 107 | 50 | |
| Morgan, Jeffery | NEW ORLEANS | 45.9% | 242 | 111 | |
| Ragona, Lawrence | ALEXANDRIA | 41.7% | 187 | 78 | |
| Anderson, Monica J | NEW ORLEANS | 41.4% | 278 | 115 | |
| Able, Devona | ALEXANDRIA | 40.5% | 252 | 102 | |
| Fraiser, Jim | NEW ORLEANS | 39.9% | 253 | 101 | |
| Rachal, Steven | ALEXANDRIA | 34.7% | 294 | 102 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a Louisiana claim by condition, age, and stage.