S.S.I.D.
Federal civil · Social Security · 220,213 cases filed and closed (1988–present).
220,213
Cases filed
83.8%
Ended before a merits judgment
184,551 of 220,213 cases
18.3%
Plaintiff win
of 35,662 merits judgments
75.2%
Defendant win
of merits judgments
How they closed
- Remanded27.3%
- Dismissed20.7%
- Affirmed16.8%
- Defendant win12.2%
- Denied11.1%
- Other4.7%
- Plaintiff win3%
- Transferred1.8%
- Settled1.4%
- Decided — other0.9%
- Mixed0.1%
Where you file matters
The same claim resolves differently across districts. Plaintiff-win rate among merits judgments, busiest courts first.
- District Court, C.D. California15,432 cases · 944 decided10%
- District Court, M.D. Florida10,093 cases · 328 decided26.8%
- District Court, E.D. Kentucky9,222 cases · 1,369 decided5.3%
- District Court, E.D. California7,947 cases · 1,804 decided21.3%
- District Court, W.D. Washington6,742 cases · 528 decided43.6%
- District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania6,307 cases · 703 decided18.3%
- District Court, N.D. Ohio5,317 cases · 438 decided15.5%
- District Court, E.D. Arkansas5,294 cases · 760 decided1.7%
- District Court, N.D. Alabama5,121 cases · 7 decided—
- District Court, D. Oregon4,868 cases · 270 decided14.4%
- District Court, W.D. Arkansas4,245 cases · 284 decided28.9%
- District Court, E.D. Washington3,939 cases · 2,084 decided44.6%
- District Court, E.D. Michigan3,898 cases · 1,571 decided11.6%
- District Court, S.D. Ohio3,820 cases · 574 decided8.9%
- District Court, W.D. Missouri3,745 cases · 912 decided12.7%
- District Court, W.D. Louisiana3,643 cases · 525 decided17%
- District Court, W.D. Virginia3,563 cases · 827 decided7.5%
- District Court, S.D. West Virginia3,515 cases · 1,419 decided7.4%
- District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania3,403 cases · 1,753 decided8.7%
- District Court, N.D. California3,104 cases · 1,089 decided25.6%
- District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania2,924 cases · 486 decided15.6%
- District Court, N.D. New York2,898 cases · 371 decided17.5%
- District Court, D. New Jersey2,896 cases · 184 decided13.6%
- District Court, M.D. Alabama2,894 cases · 106 decided38.7%
- District Court, D. South Carolina2,812 cases · 100 decided46%
- District Court, S.D. New York2,724 cases · 288 decided16.7%
- District Court, N.D. Georgia2,567 cases · 284 decided25.4%
- District Court, D. Connecticut2,538 cases · 321 decided31.5%
- District Court, D. Maryland2,509 cases · 335 decided18.5%
- District Court, S.D. Florida2,503 cases · 772 decided16.3%
Source: FJC Integrated Database (public domain), via CourtListener — federal civil cases filed and terminated, 1988–present. Figures are descriptive statistics about how cases of a given type have closed in a given court. They describe the historical record — not a prediction or assessment of any specific case. Not legal advice.