The local rules of civil procedure provide that any civil matter where the amount in controversy does not exceed $50,000 and which do not include title to real property, will proceed through compulsory 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.
Settlement by agreement is the cheapest option and gives you the most control. Both mediation and arbitration are expensive, and arbitration is usually binding, so the ultimate decision is out of your control.
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.
The arbitration of claims can take several different forms in Pennsylvania, but can be generally categorized as either compulsory judicial arbitration (mandated by court rules with respect to civil suits in which the damages allegedly at issue are less than a prescribed dollar amount) or contractual arbitration (in ...
Arbitration. The arbitration system in Allegheny County is compulsory non-binding arbitration with a ceiling of $50,000 on civil damage awards.
Arbitration is a dispute resolution mechanism agreed on by parties, which involves the appointment of one or more ar- bitrators to preside over and to make a final decision on a dispute between two or more parties – instead of approaching a court of law to resolve the dispute.
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.