Kansas Administrative Regulations
Agency 51 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR-DIVISION OF WORKERS COMPENSATION
Article 3 - TERMINATION OF COMPENSABLE CASES
Section 51-3-8 - Pretrial stipulations
Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 39, September 26, 2024
The parties shall be prepared at the first hearing to agree on the claimant's average weekly wage, unless the weekly wage is to be made an issue in the case.
(a) Before the first hearing takes place, the parties shall exchange medical information and confer as to what issues can be stipulated to and what issues are to be in dispute in the case. The following stipulations shall be used by the parties in every case:
QUESTIONS TO CLAIMANT
QUESTIONS TO RESPONDENT
QUESTIONS TO BOTH PARTIES
The same stipulations shall be used in occupational disease cases, except that questions regarding "personal injury" shall be changed to discover facts concerning "disability from occupational disease" or "disablement."
(b) An informal pretrial conference shall be held in each contested case before testimony is taken in a case. At these conferences the administrative law judge shall determine from the parties what issues have not been agreed upon. If the issues cannot be resolved, the stipulations and issues shall be made a part of the record.
(c) The respondent shall be prepared to admit any and all facts that the respondent cannot justifiably deny and to have payrolls available in proper form to answer any questions that might arise as to the average weekly wage. Evidence shall be confined to the matters actually ascertained to be in dispute. The administrative law judge shall not be bound by rules of civil procedure or evidence. Hearsay evidence may be admissible unless irrelevant or redundant.
(d) All parties shall be given reasonable opportunity to be heard. The testimony taken at the hearing shall be reported and transcribed. That testimony, together with documentary evidence introduced, shall be filed with the division of workers compensation, where the evidence shall become a permanent record. Each award or order made by the administrative law judge shall be set forth in writing, with copies mailed to the parties.
(e) Permission to withdraw admissions or stipulations shall be decided by the administrative law judge, depending on the circumstances in each instance.
(f) Subpoena forms shall be furnished by the director upon request. The party subpoenaing witnesses shall be responsible for the completion, service, and costs in connection with the subpoenas.