                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

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) (§ 8.01-401.1)

In any civil action any expert witness may give testimony and render an opinion
or draw inferences from facts, circumstances or data made known to or perceived
by such witness at or before the hearing or trial during which he is called upon
to testify. The facts, circumstances or data relied upon by such witness in
forming an opinion or drawing inferences, if of a type normally relied upon by
others in the particular field of expertise in forming opinions and drawing
inferences, need not be admissible in evidence.
		The expert may testify in terms of opinion or inference and give his reasons
therefor without prior disclosure of the underlying facts or data, unless the
court requires otherwise. The expert may in any event be required to disclose
the underlying facts or data on cross-examination.
		To the extent called to the attention of an expert witness upon
cross-examination or relied upon by the expert witness in direct examination,
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 testimony or by stipulation, shall not be excluded as hearsay. If
admitted, the statements may be read into evidence but may not be received as
exhibits. If the statements are to be introduced through an expert witness upon
direct examination, copies of the specific statements shall be designated as
literature to be introduced during direct examination and provided to opposing
parties 30 days prior to trial unless otherwise ordered by the court.
		If a statement has been designated by a party in accordance with and satisfies
the requirements of this section, the expert witness called by that party need
not have relied on the statement at the time of forming his opinion in order to
read the statement into evidence during direct examination at trial.

HISTORY: 1982, c. 392; 1994, c. 328; 2013, c. 379.