405.331—Submitting evidence to an administrative law judge.
(a)
You should submit with your request for hearing any evidence that you have available to you. Any written evidence that you wish to be considered at the hearing must be submitted no later than five business days before the date of the scheduled hearing. If you do not comply with this requirement, the administrative law judge may decline to consider the evidence unless the circumstances described in paragraphs (b) or (c) of this section apply.
(b)
If you miss the deadline described in paragraph (a) of this section and you wish to submit evidence during the five business days before the hearing or at the hearing, the administrative law judge will accept the evidence if you show that:
(2)
You had a physical, mental, educational, or linguistic limitation(s) that prevented you from submitting the evidence earlier; or
(3)
Some other unusual, unexpected, or unavoidable circumstance beyond your control prevented you from submitting the evidence earlier.
(c)
If you miss the deadline described in paragraph (a) of this section and you wish to submit evidence after the hearing and before the hearing decision is issued, the administrative law judge will accept the evidence if you show that there is a reasonable possibility that the evidence, alone or when considered with the other evidence of record, would affect the outcome of your claim, and:
(2)
You had a physical, mental, educational, or linguistic limitation(s) that prevented you from submitting the evidence earlier; or
(3)
Some other unusual, unexpected, or unavoidable circumstance beyond your control prevented you from submitting the evidence earlier.