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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>77689</law_id><section_number>8.01-52.1</section_number><catch_line>Admissibility of expressions of sympathy</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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="3">Actions</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="5">Death by Wrongful Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>In any wrongful death <span class="dictionary">action</span> brought pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Action for death by wrongful act; how and when to be brought" href="/8.01-50/">8.01-50</a> against a health care provider, or in any arbitration or medical malpractice review <span class="dictionary">panel</span> proceeding related to such wrongful death <span class="dictionary">action</span>, the portion of statements, writings, affirmations, benevolent conduct, or benevolent gestures expressing sympathy, commiseration, condolence, compassion, or a general sense of benevolence, together with apologies that are made by a health care provider or an agent of a health care provider to a <span class="dictionary">relative</span> of the patient, or a <span class="dictionary">representative</span> of the patient about the death of the patient as a result of the <span class="dictionary">unanticipated outcome</span> of health care, shall be inadmissible as <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of an admission of liability or as <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of an admission against interest. A statement of fault that is part of or in addition to any of the above shall not be made inadmissible by this section.
		For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
		&#x201C;Health care&#x201D; has the same definition as provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/8.01-581.1/">8.01-581.1</a>.
		&#x201C;Health care provider&#x201D; has the same definition as provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/8.01-581.1/">8.01-581.1</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Relative</span>&#x201D; means a decedent&#x2019;s spouse, parent, grandparent, stepfather, stepmother, child, grandchild, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, or spouse&#x2019;s parents. In addition, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">relative</span>&#x201D; includes any <span class="dictionary">person</span> who had a family-type relationship with the decedent.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Representative</span>&#x201D; means a legal guardian, attorney, <span class="dictionary">person</span> designated to make decisions on behalf of a patient under a medical <span class="dictionary">power of attorney</span>, or any <span class="dictionary">person</span> recognized in <span class="dictionary">law</span> or custom as a patient&#x2019;s agent.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Unanticipated outcome</span>&#x201D; means the outcome of the delivery of health care that differs from an expected result.</p></section></text><history>2005, cc. 649, 692; 2009, c. 414.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
