SIGNING AWAY YOUR DAY IN COURT:HOW FORCED ARBITRATION IS DEPRIVING CONSUMERS OF JUSTICE

摘要

If you have signed a contract with a business, you have agreed to have your claims against that business heard by an arbitrator on an individual basis only. But have you stopped to think about what arbitration means? Do you know why almost every corporation requires an arbitration agreement as a condition of doing business with them? Unfortunately, most consumers do not realize the disadvantages inherent in the arbitration system. Most consumers do not understand that signing such contracts precludes consumers from having a jury of their peers decide the outcome, and for that matter, even precludes the filing of a lawsuit in Court. Most consumers do not understand that signing such contracts waives application of the basic rules of evidence or discovery amongst other troubling issues. This lack of knowledge is no fault of the consumers though. In fact, the arbitration system itself is entirely confidential and designed to protect corporations violating State and/or Federal law from the stigma of being sued. While the issues with arbitration discuss below are starting to be acknowledged by the mainstream media, a general understanding of arbitration remains lacking.