Virginia 2025 Regular Session

Virginia Senate Bill SB892 Compare Versions

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1-CHAPTER 359
1+2025 SESSION
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5+VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- CHAPTER
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37 An Act to amend and reenact 8.01-20.1, 8.01-50.1, and 16.1-83.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to medical malpractice; certification of expert witness; written opinion.
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59 [S 892]
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7-Approved March 21, 2025
11+Approved
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913 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
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1115 1. That 8.01-20.1, 8.01-50.1, and 16.1-83.1 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
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1317 8.01-20.1. Certification of expert witness opinion at time of service of process.
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1519 A. Every motion for judgment complaint, counter claim, or third party claim in a medical malpractice action, at the time the plaintiff first requests service of process upon a defendant, or requests a defendant to accept service of process, shall be deemed a certification that the plaintiff has obtained from an expert witness whom the plaintiff reasonably believes would qualify as an expert witness pursuant to subsection A of 8.01-581.20 a written opinion signed by the expert witness that, based upon a reasonable understanding of the facts, the defendant for whom service of process has been requested deviated from the applicable standard of care and the deviation was a proximate cause of the injuries claimed states:
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1721 BASED UPON A REASONABLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTS, THE DEFENDANT FOR WHOM SERVICE OF PROCESS HAS BEEN REQUESTED DEVIATED FROM THE APPLICABLE STANDARD OF CARE AND THE DEVIATION WAS A PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE INJURIES CLAIMED.
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1923 No further statement or opinion from the expert witness shall be required for the purposes of this section. The plaintiff may have separate certifications for standard of care and causation. Each defendant who is the subject of an expert witness's certification shall be identified in the certification.
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2125 B. This certification is not necessary if the plaintiff, in good faith, alleges a medical malpractice action that asserts a theory of liability where expert testimony is unnecessary because the alleged act of negligence clearly lies within the range of the jury's common knowledge and experience.
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2327 C. The certifying expert shall not be required to be an expert witness expected to testify at trial nor shall any defendant be entitled to discover the identity or qualifications of the certifying expert or the nature of the certifying expert's opinions. Should the certifying expert be identified as an expert expected to testify at trial, the opinions and bases therefor shall be discoverable pursuant to Rule 4:1 of the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia with the exception of the expert's status as a certifying expert.
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2529 Upon written request of any D. Within 21 days of an answer being filed by a defendant upon whom service of process has been requested, the plaintiff shall, within 10 business days after receipt of such request, provide the certify to such defendant with a certification form that affirms that the plaintiff had obtained the necessary certifying expert opinion at the time service was requested or affirms that the plaintiff did not need to obtain a certifying expert witness opinion by including a statement that reads: THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE PLAINTIFF HAS COMPLIED WITH 8.01-20.1 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA. The court, upon good cause shown, may conduct an in camera review of the certifying expert opinion obtained by the plaintiff as the court may deem appropriate. If the plaintiff did not obtain a necessary certifying expert opinion at the time the plaintiff requested service of process on a defendant as required under this section, the court shall impose sanctions according to the provisions of 8.01-271.1 and may dismiss the case with prejudice.
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2731 8.01-50.1. Certification of expert witness opinion at time of service of process.
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2933 A. Every motion for judgment complaint, counter claim, or third party claim in any action pursuant to 8.01-50 for wrongful death against a health care provider, at the time the plaintiff first requests service of process upon a defendant, or requests a defendant to accept service of process, shall be deemed a certification that the plaintiff has obtained from an expert witness whom the plaintiff reasonably believes would qualify as an expert witness pursuant to subsection A of 8.01-581.20 a written opinion signed by the expert witness that, based upon a reasonable understanding of the facts, the defendant for whom service of process has been requested deviated from the applicable standard of care and the deviation was a proximate cause of the injuries claimed states:
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3135 BASED UPON A REASONABLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTS, THE DEFENDANT FOR WHOM SERVICE OF PROCESS HAS BEEN REQUESTED DEVIATED FROM THE APPLICABLE STANDARD OF CARE AND THE DEVIATION WAS A PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE INJURIES CLAIMED.
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3337 No further statement or opinion from the expert shall be required for the purposes of this section. The plaintiff may have separate certifications for standard of care and causation. Each defendant who is the subject of an expert witness's certification shall be identified in the certification.
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3539 B. This certification is not necessary if the plaintiff, in good faith, alleges in his wrongful death action a medical malpractice theory of liability where expert testimony is unnecessary because the alleged act of negligence clearly lies within the range of the jury's common knowledge and experience.
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3741 C. The certifying expert shall not be required to be an expert expected to testify at trial nor shall any defendant be entitled to discover the identity or qualifications of the certifying expert or the nature of the certifying expert's opinions. Should the certifying expert be identified as an expert expected to testify at trial, the opinions and bases therefor shall be discoverable pursuant to Rule 4:1 of the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia with the exception of the expert's status as a certifying expert.
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3943 Upon written request of any D. Within 21 days of an answer being filed by a defendant upon whom service of process has been requested, the plaintiff shall, within 10 business days after receipt of such request, provide the certify to such defendant with a certification form that affirms that the plaintiff had obtained the necessary certifying expert opinion at the time service was requested or affirms that the plaintiff did not need to obtain a certifying expert witness opinion by including a statement that reads: THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE PLAINTIFF HAS COMPLIED WITH 8.01-50.1 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA. The court, upon good cause shown, may conduct an in camera review of the certifying expert opinion obtained by the plaintiff as the court may deem appropriate. If the plaintiff did not obtain a necessary certifying expert opinion at the time the plaintiff requested service of process on a defendant as required under this section, the court shall impose sanctions according to the provisions of 8.01-271.1 and may dismiss the case with prejudice.
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4145 16.1-83.1. Certification of expert witness opinion at time of service of process.
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4347 A. Every warrant in debt, counter claim, or third party claim in a medical malpractice action, at the time the plaintiff first requests service of process upon a defendant, or requests a defendant to accept service of process, shall be deemed a certification that the plaintiff has obtained from an expert whom the plaintiff reasonably believes would qualify as an expert witness pursuant to subsection A of 8.01-581.20 a written opinion signed by the expert witness that, based upon a reasonable understanding of the facts, the defendant for whom service of process has been requested deviated from the applicable standard of care and the deviation was a proximate cause of the injuries claimed states:
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4549 BASED UPON A REASONABLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTS, THE DEFENDANT FOR WHOM SERVICE OF PROCESS HAS BEEN REQUESTED DEVIATED FROM THE APPLICABLE STANDARD OF CARE AND THE DEVIATION WAS A PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE INJURIES CLAIMED.
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4751 No further statement or opinion from the expert shall be required for the purposes of this section. The plaintiff may have separate certifications for standard of care and causation. Each defendant who is the subject of an expert witness's certification shall be identified in the certification.
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4953 B. This certification is not necessary if the plaintiff, in good faith, alleges a medical malpractice action that asserts a theory of liability where expert testimony is unnecessary because the alleged act of negligence clearly lies within the range of the jury's common knowledge and experience.
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5155 C. The certifying expert shall not be required to be an expert witness expected to testify at trial nor shall any defendant be entitled to discover the identity or qualifications of the certifying expert or the nature of the certifying expert opinions. Should the certifying expert be identified as an expert expected to testify at trial, the opinions and bases therefor shall be discoverable pursuant to Rule 4:1 of the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia with the exception of the expert's status as a certifying expert.
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5357 Upon written request of any D. Within 21 days of an answer being filed by a defendant upon whom service of process has been requested, the plaintiff shall, within 10 business days after receipt of such request, provide the certify to such defendant with a certification form that affirms that the plaintiff had obtained the necessary certifying expert opinion at the time service was requested or affirms that the plaintiff did not need to obtain a certifying expert witness opinion by including a statement that reads: THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE PLAINTIFF HAS COMPLIED WITH 16.1-83.1 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA. The court, upon good cause shown, may conduct an in camera review of the certifying expert opinion obtained by the plaintiff as the court may deem appropriate. If the plaintiff did not obtain a necessary certifying expert opinion at the time the plaintiff requested service of process on a defendant as required under this section, the court shall impose sanctions according to the provisions of 8.01-271.1 and may dismiss the case with prejudice.