Nationwide Certificate of Merit Survey

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A growing number of states have enacted some version of an “affidavit of merit” statute in professional malpractice matters. The intended purpose behind these laws is to reduce “unnecessary” or unsupported lawsuits against licensed professionals. In states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and others, plaintiffs in malpractice litigation must certify through an impartial professional in the defendant’s field that there is a fundamental basis for the complaint. While the specifics of the particular statute in each state may differ in terms of scope and application, the importance of compliance cannot be overstated. At the request of many of our readers, we compiled a table of the requirements in each jurisdiction. This TABLE (click here) includes a 50-state survey of affidavit of merit statutes, includes a link to the applicable statute, if any, and summarizes the application of each law.