S.C. Code Regs. § 67-612 - Admission of Expert's Report as Evidence

A. This regulation does not apply to the Form 14A filed according to R. 67-1301, nor shall this regulation be construed to limit a party's right to call a witness (lay or expert) or present evidence (lay or expert) in the form of a deposition.

B. A written expert's report to be admitted as evidence at the hearing must be provided to the opposing party as follows:

(1) The moving party must provide the report to the opposing party at least fifteen days before the scheduled hearing.

(2) The non-moving party must provide to the moving party any report not provided by the moving party at least ten days before the scheduled hearing.

(3) Where both parties file hearing requests the first party to file shall be considered the moving party.

(4) The carrier shall be deemed the moving party in all hearings scheduled pursuant to a request under R. 67-504C.

C. Proof of notice as required under this section shall be filed with the Commission at the time such reports are provided to a party.

D. Any report submitted to the opposing party in accord with B (1) or B(2) above shall be submitted as an APA exhibit at the hearing unless withdrawn with the consent of the other party, and the non-moving party shall submit only reports not submitted by the moving party. The actual report shall not be filed with the Commission prior to the hearing.

E. Failure to provide reports and notices as required under this section may result in the exclusion of such reports from the evidence of the case. This paragraph shall not be construed to limit the discretionary authority of a Hearing Commissioner to accept reports, depositions or other evidence at the conclusion of the scheduled hearing pursuant to subsection J below.

F. If the parties consent to the admission of a report, then the Hearing Commissioner shall receive such report into evidence without regard as to whether the parties have complied with this section.

G. The following rules in this subsection shall govern the format in which Administrative Procedures Act (APA) exhibits are submitted into evidence. Each APA or set of APA's shall have:

(1) An index sheet listing the APA number, name of the provider, dates of service and number of pages in the APA, with the records from each medical provider identified in groups, as APA #1, APA #2; etc. The reports of each expert shall be arranged in either chronological or reverse chronological order.

(2) A consecutive number beginning with the first page of APA #1 and continuing through the final page of the last APA submitted.

H. Counsel for all other parties appearing at the hearing shall be given the opportunity to review the APA exhibits as prepared in accordance with this regulation and to supplement the record with any properly noticed APA exhibits which may have been omitted from the Claimant's and Defendants' single sets.

I. By complying with this regulation, the parties do not waive any evidentiary objections to the introduction of a particular exhibit. Such objections may include, but are not limited to relevancy, materiality, qualification of the expert, timeliness, privilege, hearsay or authenticity as may relate to the document in controversy.

J. All available evidence and testimony shall be presented at the scheduled hearing or a party must move for an adjournment according to R.67-613.

(1) The Commissioner may adjourn the hearing, and testimony of a necessary witness unable to appear at the scheduled hearing may be presented by deposition or at a hearing reconvened at a later date.

(2) The Commissioner may order the party moving for adjournment to take the de bene esse deposition of the expert. The Commissioner may order the party moving for adjournment to pay hearing costs if it is necessary to reconvene.

Notes

S.C. Code Regs. § 67-612

Amended by State Register Volume 16, Issue No. 4, eff April 24, 1992; State Register Volume 21, Issue No. 4, eff April 25, 1997; State Register Volume 22, Issue No. 6, Part 3, eff June 26, 1998; State Register Volume 25, Issue No. 6, eff June 22, 2001.