Rule 702 Testimony by Expert Witnesses

Someone can testify as an expert in court if they have special knowledge, skill, training, or experience in a certain area. This means they don't need a fancy degree to qualify. What matters is whether they truly understand the subject well enough to help the judge or jury.

The expert can share their opinion, not just plain facts, as long as it helps the judge or jury understand something confusing or decide an important question in the case. For example, a doctor might explain how an injury likely happened, or an engineer might explain why a building had a problem. Their job is to make hard topics easier to understand.

This rule exists because judges and juries are not experts in every field. Regular people often need help understanding technical or scientific details. Expert testimony fills that gap so the people deciding the case can make informed decisions based on solid understanding, not guesswork.