[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR386.47]

[Page 1041-1042]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
                      DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 386_RULES OF PRACTICE FOR MOTOR CARRIER, BROKER, FREIGHT FORWARDER, 
AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PROCEEDINGS--Table of Contents
 
                  Subpart D_General Rules and Hearings
 
Sec. 386.47  Use of deposition at hearings.

    (a) Generally. At the hearing, any part or all of a deposition, so 
far as admissible under the rules of evidence, may be used against any 
party who was present or represented at the taking of the deposition or 
who had due notice thereof in accordance with any one of the following 
provisions:
    (1) Any deposition may be used by any party for the purpose of 
contradicting or impeaching the testimony of the deponent as a witness.
    (2) The deposition of expert witnesses, particularly the deposition 
of physicians, may be used by any party for any purpose, unless the 
Assistant Administrator or administrative law judge rules that such use 
would be unfair or a violation of due process.
    (3) The deposition of a party or of anyone who at the time of taking 
the deposition was an officer, director, or duly authorized agent of a 
public or private organization, partnership, or association which is a 
party, may be used by any other party for any purpose.
    (4) The deposition of a witness, whether or not a party, may be used 
by any party for any purpose if the presiding officer finds:
    (i) That the witness is dead; or
    (ii) That the witness is out of the United States or more than 100 
miles from the place of hearing unless it appears that the absence of 
the witness was procured by the party offering the deposition; or
    (iii) That the witness is unable to attend to testify because of 
age, sickness, infirmity, or imprisonment; or
    (iv) That the party offering the deposition has been unable to 
procure the attendance of the witness by subpoena; or
    (v) Upon application and notice, that such exceptional circumstances 
exist

[[Page 1042]]

as to make it desirable, in the interest of justice and with due regard 
to the importance of presenting the testimony of witnesses orally in 
open hearing, to allow the deposition to be used.
    (5) If only part of a deposition is offered in evidence by a party, 
any other party may require him or her to introduce all of it which is 
relevant to the part introduced, and any party may introduce any other 
parts.
    (b) Objections to admissibility. Except as provided in this 
paragraph, objection may be made at the hearing to receiving in evidence 
any deposition or part thereof for any reason which would require the 
exclusion of the evidence if the witness were then present and 
testifying.
    (1) Objections to the competency of a witness or to the competency, 
relevancy or materiality of testimony are not waived by failure to make 
them before or during the taking of the deposition, unless the ground of 
the objection is one which might have been obviated or removed if 
presented at that time.
    (2) Errors and irregularities occurring at the oral examination in 
the manner of taking the deposition, in the form of the questions or 
answers, in the oath or affirmation, or in the conduct of parties and 
errors of any kind which might be obviated, removed, or cured if 
promptly presented, are waived unless reasonable objection thereto is 
made at the taking of the deposition.
    (3) Objections to the form or written interrogatories are waived 
unless served in writing upon the party propounding them.
    (c) Effect of taking using depositions. A party shall not be deemed 
to make a person his or her own witness for any purpose by taking his or 
her deposition. The introduction in evidence of the deposition or any 
part thereof for any purpose other than that of contradicting or 
impeaching the deponent makes the deponent the witness of the party 
introducing the deposition, but this shall not apply to the use by any 
other party of a deposition as described in paragraph (a)(2) of this 
section. At the hearing, any party may rebut any relevant evidence 
contained in a deposition whether introduced by him or her or by any 
other party.