Rule 702 Testimony by Expert Witnesses

Sometimes a case involves topics that are hard to understand without special training, like medicine, engineering, or finance. A court can allow an expert to testify and share their professional opinion to help the judge or jury understand those topics better.

To qualify as an expert, the person needs real knowledge in that area, whether through education, job experience, or training. Their testimony has to actually help explain something that matters in the case. A doctor, for example, could give an opinion about a medical condition that is central to a lawsuit.