Rule 11-702 Testimony by expert witnesses.

If someone has special knowledge or training in a certain area, they can be allowed to give their opinion in court, not just describe facts. This is different from regular witnesses, who can usually only talk about what they personally saw or heard. An expert can be a doctor, engineer, accountant, or anyone else with real experience or education in a subject that matters to the case.

The point of allowing this kind of testimony is to help the judge or jury understand something that is too technical or complex for the average person to figure out on their own. For example, a doctor might explain how an injury likely happened, or an accountant might explain financial records that would confuse people without that background.

Before someone can testify as an expert, the court has to agree that the person actually qualifies. This can be based on their education, job experience, training, or skills. The goal is to make sure the person giving the opinion truly knows enough about the topic to be helpful and trustworthy, and that their opinion will genuinely help the jury reach a fair decision.