According to the Wall Street Journal, one West Virginia disability claim judge appears to have trouble saying no to Social Security Disability Insurance applicants. Americans seeking Social Security Disability benefits will often need to appeal their initial denial to one of 1,500 judges who help administer the program. David B. Daugherty appears to be an administrative law judge who wants to help out disability claimants.
Judge Daugherty has been accused of rubber stamp approving disability claims and is now subject of a federal investigation for approving too many disability claims. About 75 percent of the cases presented for disability claims are typically approved in the Social Security Disability system. Judge Daugherty has had nearly 100 percent approval, considered a record which is now raising red flags.
The disability judge went to work as usual on Thursday even though he was told federal investigators were in the office, he had yet to meet with them. The 75-year-old has been an administrative law judge for the Social Security Office for 21 years.
Since 2005-2008, Judge Daugherty has heard nearly 5000 disability claims cases and has approved nearly all of them. This year, Judge Daugherty processed more cases than all but three judges nationwide, and his approval rate remains nearly 100 percent.
