A Nevada TV station has been tracking the human cost of statistics like these:
The average time between a hearing request and a decision was 422 days in fiscal year 2014, said regional communications director Patricia Raymond in an email. At the end of the fiscal year, there were roughly 970,000 cases pending nationwide, she said.
The agency blames the backlog on several factors, including the growing number of baby boomers who are aging and prone to injuries.
Raymond said the agency improved efficiency and increased staffing and the number of hearing offices in 2007. By 2013, the average processing time had dropped to 375 days, she said. But since then, limited funding and budget cuts have contributed to increased wait times. Read what happens to real people who are impacted by these numbers!