Also known as:hearsay within hearsay · hearsay included in hearsay · multiple hearsay · double hearsay
Written by attorneys — see sources below.
A rule permitting admission of nested out-of-court statements when each component statement independently satisfies a hearsay exception or exclusion.
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How its tested
Common Examples
2
Insurance Adjuster Chain
Hakeem Harris sued his insurer after a fire destroyed his warehouse. At trial his neighbor testified that Harris said the adjuster told him a company investigator had reported the fire chief's view that the blaze appeared deliberately set. Each layer of the statement met a separate exception, so the court admitted the testimony.
Construction Warning Chain
Horizon Dynamics sued Republic Steel after a parking garage collapsed. Subcontractor Heidi Henderson testified that her foreman told her a city inspector had warned Republic Steel about substandard rebar. Because each segment of the chain satisfied its own exception, the court allowed the full testimony into evidence.