14.16 Expert Witness Certification and Qualification

• Jurisdiction: Arizona

14.16 Expert Witness Certification and Qualification. Expert witness testimony is generally required to maintain a professional negligence claim against an insurance producer because producers are licensed professionals.²¹⁹ A.R.S. §12-2602 provides that “[i]f a claim against a licensed professional is asserted in a civil action, the claimant . . . shall certify in a written statement . . . whether or not expert opinion testimony is necessary to prove the licensed professional’s standard of care or liability for the claim.”²²⁰ When expert testimony is necessary, the claimant must disclose a preliminary expert opinion affidavit at the time of its initial Ariz. R. Civ. P. 26.1 Disclosure Statement, although compliance with...