What is a Certificate of Merit?

The medical field is prone to lawsuits. For this reason, some medical practitioners fail to perform their duties to the best of their abilities due to the fear of lawsuits. In addition, these medical professionals may need to pay higher insurance premiums to protect themselves from legal action against them.

As a result, a certificate of merit ensures that a medical malpractice case is valid. In other words, it protects medical professionals from unfounded claims.

When the plaintiff obtains this certificate, it shows that the defendant was negligent in executing their job responsibilities.

Most jurisdictions have a deadline for filing a certificate of merit before the hearing. Failure to honor this deadline could jeopardize the entire case. The court could rule that the plaintiff does not have a valid claim due to their inability to obtain the certificate.

A typical certificate of merit contains an overview of the claim being filed by the plaintiff, the credentials of the certifying medical practitioner, and a confirmation that the medical practitioner is familiar with the acceptable and applicable medical standard of care. This certificate also includes the medical professional's opinion on how the defendant breached the standard of care and how the breach led to the plaintiff's injury (or death).

Lastly, the medical professional certifying the claim will need to confirm that they have no financial interest in the claim and may testify as an expert in the case if the need arises.

In most states, your doctor cannot write you a certificate of merit. This ensures that there are no personal interests in the case. The argument here is that your own doctor might feel inclined to write the certificate in your favor due to your client-doctor relationship.

The exact process of filing a certificate of merit varies from one jurisdiction to another. For example, in some states, you may be required to file this certificate with the court even before you file the Complaint (the lawsuit). In other States, you must file the certificate of merit along with the complaint.

In addition, some states might hold a separate hearing to discuss the certificate of merit. The findings will then determine whether or not to proceed with the case. In other states, the certificate of merit will be required but not discussed unless the defense raises an issue about it.

At Morgan and Morgan, we understand how stressful it can be to obtain this certificate. Bear in mind that the rules vary from state to state. But you should not worry about that when you have our medical malpractice attorneys fighting for you. We can help you obtain a certificate of merit that meets all your state's requirements, increasing your chances of getting favorable results from the medical malpractice lawsuit.

Again, this will depend on the jurisdiction. In some states, when the certificate of merit is rejected, this marks the end of the case. In other states, the plaintiff might need to file an appeal or revise the certificate.

That said, some states might allow the plaintiff to proceed with the medical malpractice lawsuit under the condition that they must post a bond to cover the defendant's court expenses. 

This will also depend on the laws of your state. In some states, failure to obtain this certificate means the case won't proceed. In other states, such as New York, you may be allowed to proceed with the case. However, to proceed, you must prove that you tried (but failed) to obtain the certificate.

In New York, a medical malpractice attorney must demonstrate that they made three “good faith” attempts to obtain this certificate from a medical provider but failed. Specifically, they must show that the medical practitioners they contacted to certify the case would not agree to meet with the attorney for this purpose. In that case, the court might allow the attorney to proceed with the case.

If you or your loved one has been injured by a medical practitioner's negligence and you live in a state that requires a certificate of merit before filing a claim, we might be able to help. Because we are the largest personal injury law firm in the United States, we have access to powerful legal resources and a network of medical professionals that can help review and certify your case if valid.

All you need to do is fill out our free case evaluation form, and one of our legal representatives will contact you as soon as possible.