§ 725.421 - Referral of a claim to the Office of Administrative Law Judges.

§ 725.421 Referral of a claim to the Office of Administrative Law Judges.

(a) In any claim for which a formal hearing is requested or ordered, and with respect to which the district director has completed evidentiary development and adjudication without having resolved all contested issues, the district director shall refer the claim to the Office of Administrative Law Judges for a hearing.

(b) In any case referred to the Office of Administrative Law Judges under this section, the district director shall transmit to that office the following documents, which shall be placed in the record at the hearing subject to the objection of any party:

(1) Copies of the claim form or forms;

(2) Any statement, document, or pleading submitted by a party to the claim;

(3) A copy of the notification to an operator of its possible liability for the claim, and any schedule for the submission of additional evidence issued pursuant to § 725.410 designating a potentially liable operator as the responsible operator;

(4) All medical evidence submitted to the district director under this part by the claimant and the potentially liable operator designated as the responsible operator in the proposed decision and order issued pursuant to § 725.418, or the fund, as appropriate, subject to the limitations of § 725.414 of this part; this evidence shall include the results of any medical examination or test conducted pursuant to § 725.406, and all evidence relevant to the liability of the responsible operator submitted to the district director under this part;

(5) Any written stipulation of law or fact or stipulation of contested and uncontested issues entered into by the parties;

(6) Any pertinent forms submitted to the district director;

(7) The statement by the district director of contested and uncontested issues in the claim; and

(8) The district director's initial determination of eligibility or other documents necessary to establish the right of the fund to reimbursement, if appropriate. Copies of the transmittal notice shall also be sent to all parties to the claim by regular mail.

(c) A party may at any time request and obtain from the district director copies of documents transmitted to the Office of Administrative Law Judges under paragraph (b) of this section. If the party has previously been provided with such documents, additional copies may be sent to the party upon the payment of a copying fee to be determined by the district director.