What is Arbitration?
Arbitration is, “the submission for determination of disputed matter to private unofficial persons selected in manner provided by law or agreement.” (Black’s Law Dictionary 134. 4th Ed. Rev. 1968)
Arbitration is a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution, serving as an alternative to a jury trial. It involves a legal dispute being settled by a neutral third party to a plaintiff and defendant. That third party is known as an arbitrator. In arbitration, unlike other kinds of ADR, the arbitrator’s decision on a matter is final. In that way, arbitration is somewhat like a mini-court case. However, there are differences in the role of an arbitrator in arbitration and a judge in a court case. Arbitrators are chosen and agreed upon by both parties rather than appointed. They do not necessarily need to have legal expertise, although many do. It is also harder to appeal an arbitrator’s decision than it is to appeal a court’s decision.
Arbitration can either be voluntary or compulsory. It is voluntary when both parties freely agree to terms at the time of arbitration. It is compulsory when there is a prior agreement that may require one party to arbitrate and outlines the terms of arbitration. Compulsory arbitration is typically found in contracts. Some commonly observed benefits of arbitration are that it is a quicker, cheaper, and more private alternative to the court system. However, some cons are the limited appeal rights and potential for bias in individual arbitrators that come with arbitration.
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What You Should Know About Going to Court After a Truck Accident
How to Prepare For Trial When a Truck Accident Settlement Cannot Be Reached
Not all truck settlement cases reach a settlement outside of court. When negotiations are unworkable, and a settlement agreement cannot be reached, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer with a successful track record, and who is prepared to go to trial. Alternatively, if you are satisfied with the settlement offer, and if you are not willing to withstand the delay of a trial, you may wish to refrain from going to court with your case. At the end of the day, complex truck accident cases are best dealt with when an experienced truck accident lawyer is by your side.
With over 60 years of experience, Munley Law has earned a national reputation for our significant verdicts and settlements and for our expertise in the most complex areas of personal injury law — we have all the resources and preparedness to fight for you. […]
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How Does an Insurance Company Decide Who Was at Fault for a Scranton Car Accident?
Who Determines Who is At Fault After a Car Accident?
Imagine you are pulling out of a driveway, with your view partially obscured by a snowbank. As you do, another car comes around the corner and hits you. Who’s at fault for the car accident?
The answer may not always be that easy to determine–but answering it may be crucial in deciding who is ultimately responsible for paying for medical expenses and vehicle damage. Answering the question of who is at fault for auto accidents can also change depending on who is answering it, the traffic laws applicable to the situation, or the state in which the auto accident occurs. It can get even more complicated when multiple vehicles are involved.
While police and insurance companies may weigh in with their own assessment of who is at fault in car accidents, […]
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Uber will no longer force assault victims to arbitration
Uber will no longer force the use of private arbitration for riders, drivers or employees who claim that they have been sexually assaulted or harassed. Rather, these cases can now be brought to court and be heard by a jury.
Until now, riders waived their constitutional right to a trial when they signed Uber’s user agreement. Now, anyone who claims that they have been sexually assaulted or harassed as an Uber rider, driver, or employee can have their individual cases brought to court and be heard by a jury. Uber will also end the requirement that victims who accept settlements through arbitration must sign confidentiality agreements that prevent them from talking about their experiences.
The policy change does not include other forms of harassment.
Arbitration used to silence victims of assault and harassment
Because of confidentiality agreements, […]
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Attorney Marion Munley’s Article on the Vanishing Jury Trial in The Scranton Times
As seen in The Scranton Times. America’s long and proud history has been shaped by lawyers and judges who made lasting contributions to the preservation of individual liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. To the Founders, the right to jury trial, secured by the Seventh Amendment, was on par with the right to vote and the right to free speech. In the initial draft of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson’s litany of abuses by the king included, prominently, “depriving us of the benefits of trial by jury.”
Jefferson considered “trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man that holds the government to the principles of its Constitution.” Jurors are true public servants who commit their time, critical thinking and impartiality to their fellow Americans. Jurors serve as checks and balances on our judicial system, and a jury trial is a fundamental right critical to our democracy. […]
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New York Man Awarded $1.5 Million After Debilitating Auto Accident
A man who suffered “a permanent, significant physical limitation” as the result of a serious automobile accident on Route 104 in Ontario, New York, has been awarded over $1.5 million by a Monroe County Supreme Court jury.
The man was stopped at a stop light in 2009 when he was hit from behind by another vehicle. He was diagnosed with acute lumbar spine injuries. The defendant‘s insurance company, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., offered to settle the case for $5,000 and refused mediation or arbitration to settle the case, forcing the case into trial.
InsuranceNewsNet.com reports the man was awarded $1.25 million in past, present and future pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, along with $321,250 in past and future medical expenses.
About Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
Munley Law is a Pennsylvania accident and injury law firm that represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Pennsylvania and the Northeast, […]
