The Longshore divisions of the United States Department of Labor have updated their procedures to incorporate current technology and law. A few months ago, the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation, the agency that administers the Longshore Act, implemented a procedure for online filing of almost all required documents. Forms and other documents may be filed electronically by using the Division’s SEAPortal system, which may be accessed here. Last month, the Division adopted a procedure for allowing parties to receive by email notice of compensation orders issued by the Division. The Longshore Act mandates that all compensation orders be served on the parties by certified mail, so the new procedure requires parties requesting email notification to waive the certified mail requirement. The new forms developed to accomplish this wavier may be filed electronically through the SEAPortal system. More information on receiving email notification of compensation orders is included in the industry notice, which may be found here.
The Office of Administrative Law Judges, which handles adjudications of contested Longshore claims, recently adopted an updated set of procedures for practice in matters pending before the office. The new procedures are designed to incorporate recent changes in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. These new regulations may be found on the website of the Office of Administrative Law Judges here.