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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>64009</law_id><section_number>8.01-401.1</section_number><catch_line>Opinion testimony by experts; hearsay exception (subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:703, subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:705, and subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:706 derived from this section)</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-245.2</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="14">Evidence</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Witnesses Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>In any <span class="dictionary">civil action</span> any <span class="dictionary">expert witness</span> may give <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> and render an <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> or draw inferences from <span class="dictionary">facts</span>, circumstances or data made known to or perceived by such witness at or before the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> or <span class="dictionary">trial</span> during which he is called upon to testify. The <span class="dictionary">facts</span>, circumstances or data relied upon by such witness in forming an <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> or drawing inferences, if of a type normally relied upon by others in the particular field of expertise in forming <span class="dictionary">opinions</span> and drawing inferences, need not be <span class="dictionary">admissible</span> in <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>.
		The expert may testify in terms of <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> or inference and give his reasons therefor without prior disclosure of the underlying <span class="dictionary">facts</span> or data, unless the <span class="dictionary">court</span> requires otherwise. The expert may in any event be required to disclose the underlying <span class="dictionary">facts</span> or data on cross-examination.
		To the extent called to the attention of an <span class="dictionary">expert witness</span> upon cross-examination or relied upon by the <span class="dictionary">expert witness</span> in <span class="dictionary">direct examination</span>, statements contained in published treatises, periodicals or pamphlets on a subject of history, medicine or other science or art, established as a reliable authority by <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> or by <span class="dictionary">stipulation</span>, shall not be excluded as <span class="dictionary">hearsay</span>. If admitted, the statements may be read into <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> but may not be received as exhibits. If the statements are to be introduced through an <span class="dictionary">expert witness</span> upon <span class="dictionary">direct examination</span>, copies of the specific statements shall be designated as literature to be introduced during <span class="dictionary">direct examination</span> and provided to opposing parties 30 days prior to <span class="dictionary">trial</span> unless otherwise ordered by the <span class="dictionary">court</span>.
		If a statement has been designated by a <span class="dictionary">party</span> in accordance with and satisfies the requirements of this section, the <span class="dictionary">expert witness</span> called by that <span class="dictionary">party</span> need not have relied on the statement at the time of forming his <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> in <span class="dictionary">order</span> to read the statement into <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> during <span class="dictionary">direct examination</span> at <span class="dictionary">trial</span>.</p></section></text><history>1982, c. 392; 1994, c. 328; 2013, c. 379.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
