Effective 28 Aug 2012

287.460. Division hearings, findings sent to parties and insurer — mediation services, division to establish procedures, requirements. — 1. The division, through an administrative law judge, shall hear in a summary proceeding the parties at issue and their representatives and witnesses and shall determine the dispute by issuing the written award within ninety days of the last day of the hearing. The hearing shall be concluded within thirty days of the date of commencement of the hearing, except in extraordinary circumstances where a lengthy trial or complex issues necessitate a longer time than ninety days. All evidence introduced at any such hearings shall be reported by a competent reporter appointed by the division or be recorded by electronic means. The award, together with a statement of the findings of fact, rulings of law and any other matters pertinent to the question at issue, shall be filed with the record of proceedings, and a copy of the award shall immediately be sent by electronic means or in the case of an unrepresented employee, by United States mail, to the parties in dispute and the employer's insurer.

2. The division of workers' compensation shall develop by rule procedures whereby mediation services are provided to the parties in a claim for workers' compensation benefits whereby claims may be mediated by the parties at a prehearing conference when the division determines that a claim may be settled or upon application for a mediation settlement conference filed by either party.

3. The division may require the parties to produce at the mediation conference all available medical records and reports. Such mediation conference shall be informal to ascertain the issues and attempt to resolve the claim or other pending issues. Such mediation conference may be set at any time prior to the commencement of the evidentiary hearing and nothing in this section shall be interpreted to delay the setting of the matter for hearing. Upon the request of any party, a person providing mediation settlement services shall be disqualified from conducting any evidentiary hearing relating to the claim without limiting the rights conferred by section 287.810.

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(RSMo 1939 § 3729, A.L. 1945 p. 1996, A.L. 1953 p. 529, A.L. 1977 S.B. 400, A.L. 1993 S.B. 251, A.L. 1998 H.B. 1237, et al., A.L. 2012 H.B. 1540)

Prior revision: 1929 § 3339