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Updated July 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
23 ALJs
Latest monthly DDS data · 2026-07
Initial receipts
4,410
Initial determinations
4,942
Initial allowance rate
36.8%
Initial pending
20,436
Recon determinations
463
Recon allowance rate
22.9%
Hearing offices in Louisiana
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALEXANDRIA | 21 | 236 | 2,535 | 54.6% | 7 |
| METAIRIE | 38 | 242 | 1,623 | 54.3% | 6 |
| NEW ORLEANS | 110 | 272 | 1,751 | 48.4% | 7 |
| SHREVEPORT | 152 | 321 | 880 | 68.2% | 5 |
ALJs in Louisiana (23)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbondondelo, Mary | SHREVEPORT | 86.9% | 337 | 293 | |
| Volz, Louis J | NEW ORLEANS | 85.0% | 60 | 51 | |
| Supergan, Patricia W | SHREVEPORT | 80.0% | 5 | 4 | |
| Molinar, Kathleen | ALEXANDRIA | 69.1% | 350 | 242 | |
| Grant, Robert | ALEXANDRIA | 67.5% | 381 | 257 | |
| Smilie, Carolyn | ALEXANDRIA | 66.9% | 335 | 224 | |
| Thomason, Samuel | DALLAS NORTH OHO | 64.5% | 256 | 165 | |
| Juge, Christopher H. | NEW ORLEANS | 62.9% | 170 | 107 | |
| Antonowicz, John | LONG ISLAND | 61.7% | 253 | 156 | |
| Hansen, Holly | METAIRIE | 58.7% | 366 | 215 | |
| Wiedemann, Karen | METAIRIE | 57.0% | 284 | 162 | |
| Benedict, David | METAIRIE | 51.7% | 348 | 180 | |
| Exnicios, Richard M. | METAIRIE | 50.5% | 331 | 167 | |
| Daniels Smoke, Stephanie | ALEXANDRIA | 50.3% | 330 | 166 | |
| Hertzig, Michael S. | METAIRIE | 46.7% | 227 | 106 | |
| Morgan, Jeffery | NEW ORLEANS | 46.4% | 321 | 149 | |
| Ragona, Lawrence | ALEXANDRIA | 44.3% | 280 | 124 | |
| Anderson, Monica J | NEW ORLEANS | 44.2% | 360 | 159 | |
| Able, Devona | ALEXANDRIA | 44.1% | 315 | 139 | |
| Fraiser, Jim | NEW ORLEANS | 43.4% | 341 | 148 | |
| Wright, Charlotte A | SHREVEPORT | 42.9% | 147 | 63 | |
| Rachal, Steven | ALEXANDRIA | 36.4% | 360 | 131 | |
| Dowling, John M. | NEW ORLEANS | 0.0% | 1 | 0 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a Louisiana claim by condition, age, and stage.