Healthcare arbitration agreements are written agreements between patients and healthcare providers that state that any dispute that arises will be handled through arbitration. The patients sign the agreement before a procedure or treatment.
Arbitration agreements require that persons who signed them resolve any disputes by binding arbitration, rather than in court before a judge and/or jury. What is binding arbitration? Binding arbitration involves the submission of a dispute to a neutral party who hears the case and makes a decision.
Arbitration is a contract-based form of binding dispute resolution. In other words, a party's right to refer a dispute to arbitration depends on the existence of an agreement (the “arbitration agreement”) between them and the other parties to the dispute that the dispute may be referred to arbitration.
In some instances, you may be able to sue if you signed a valid arbitration agreement. While courts generally favor arbitration agreements, they will allow you to file a lawsuit if either you didn't understand your rights or your claims fall outside the arbitration provision's scope.
What is an arbitration agreement? It's typically a clause in a broader contract in which you agree to settle out of court, through arbitration cases, any dispute that arises with your counterpart.
In some instances, you may be able to sue if you signed a valid arbitration agreement. While courts generally favor arbitration agreements, they will allow you to file a lawsuit if either you didn't understand your rights or your claims fall outside the arbitration provision's scope.
The current options include different types of arbitration. Some states have voluntary binding and non-binding arbitration; others have mandatory arbitration for all medical malpractice claims, while in others it is mandatory if the damage claims are under a specific amount.
Many surgeons use an arbitration clause. This does not mean you give up any rights but rather than going to court your case would go to an arbitration panel. It's actually better for you because you wouldn't have to go to court and face a jury if there is a dispute.