Formal hearings; consolidated issues; consolidated cases.

(a) When one or more additional issues are raised by the administrative law judge pursuant to § 702.336, such issues may, in the discretion of the administrative law judge, be consolidated for hearing and decision with other issues pending before him. (b) When two or more cases are transferred for formal hearings and have common questions of law or which arose out of a common accident, the Chief Administrative Law Judge may consolidate such cases for hearing.