662 A.2d 509 (1995). Imposition of the dismissal sanction for failure to produce an affidavit of merit attesting to a reasonable probability of negligence before damage as a result of the alleged professional negligence has been shown would have the same impact. In other circumstances, our courts have declined to construe the Statute so as to permit a malpractice defendant to use it as “a sword to prevent a valid malpractice claim from reaching the courtroom” on the ground that the Legislature did not intend to weed out meritorious claims. Barreiro v. Morais, 318 N.J.Super. 461, 470, 723 A.2d 1244 (App.Div.1999); accord Aster ex rel. Garofalo v. Shoreline Behavioral Health, 346 N.J.Super. 536, 543, 788 A.2d 821 (App.Div.2002); see also Hubbard, supra, 168 N.J. at 396-97, 774 A.2d 495 (<HOLDING>). We need not suggest that SCE invokes the
recognizing the public interest exception recognizing exception recognizing the rule and the exception but holding facts did not support claim to exception recognizing such an exception recognizing common knowledge exception