Originally from:

Journal of American Arbitration (JAA) - Vol. 6, No. 2

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ARTICLES

Third Circuit Court of Appeals Holds that
Employee’s State-Law Claims Against
Employer Were Arbitrable and Employee’s
Supervisor Was Not a Necessary Party in
American General Life and Accident
Insurance Company v. Wood
By Virginia Spiess

I. OVERVIEW
Larry Wood was employed by American General Life and
Accident Insurance Company (“AGLA”) from 1997 to 2000. Am.
Gen. Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Wood, 429 F.3d 83, 85 (3d Cir.
2005). Nearly one year after Wood began his employment with
AGLA, the company implemented an Employee Dispute
Resolution Program (“Program”). Id. Employees attended a
presentation about the Program, received informational packets,
and signed an agreement stating that they understood they were
required “to adhere to the Employee Dispute Resolution Plan and
its requirement for submission of employment disputes to
mediation and/or binding arbitration.” Id. at 85-86 (quoting Joint
Appendix at 56 (“J.A.”) filed by the parties in this proceeding).
Wood asserted that he was forced to sign the agreement without an