Testimony, Reports and Exhibits at a PA WC Hearing
At a Pennsylvania WC hearing, a person’s testimony, a provider’s report and a document offered as an exhibit serve different functions. Organizing them separately helps you discuss evidence, but it does not make any item admissible or establish that the judge can rely on it.
In this article
34 Pa. Code §131.52(c), (d) and(f) addresses witnesses and exhibits at the first hearing and expressly distinguishes furnishing evidence from its admissibility. Treat preparation, exchange, offering and admission as separate questions rather than using “the judge has it” to mean all four.
Sort by what the item actually is
| Type | What to identify in your notes | Question for the person handling the case |
|---|---|---|
| Your account of events | What you personally observed, and where memory is uncertain | What subjects may require testimony? |
| Provider report | Author, date, complete report and referenced attachments | Is this the medical material needed? |
| Proposed documentary exhibit | Complete original and source | How is it to be offered, if appropriate? |
| Transcript or deposition material | Witness and proceeding date | How does this fit the evidence plan? |
This is an inventory for a discussion, not a list of items every worker must obtain. Avoid commissioning reports or arranging testimony simply because the table names them.
Do not turn a recollection into an expert opinion
You can label your own note as a recollection of an event. A medical record should remain the provider’s record. Copying a diagnosis into your timeline does not make you its author or explain its significance to a disputed legal issue.
Preserve complete records even when you want to highlight one sentence for a discussion. Put your question on a separate page. Do not rename a record “proof” merely because you believe it supports you; use a factual title the recipient can match to the original.
Exchange rules need their own attention
34 Pa. Code §131.61 governs exchange of case information and includes exceptions and consequences. It is broader than a personal packet prepared for a meeting. This article does not tell you which records are privileged, what must be disclosed or when your exchange obligations fall due.
If represented, ask your lawyer what they already have and what they need from you. If unrepresented, use the actual judge’s instructions and official rules to identify procedural requirements, and obtain individual advice about evidence questions. Keep the contents of your preparation folder separate from the status of any filing or exhibit.
To assemble readable records, see medical-document packets. To track the judge’s actual directions, see scheduling orders. The PA process topic covers the surrounding steps.