Originally from Journal of American Arbitration (JAA)

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I.  INTRODUCTION 

II. CRITICAL STATE OF THE PENNSYLVANIA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM 

III. THE INADEQUACY OF TRADITIONAL LITIGATION 

A. Excessive Jury Awards 

B. Experts 

C. Malpractice Litigation Encourages Drawn Out Court Battles 

D. The Infamous Damages Cap 

IV. ARBITRATION 

V. THE ARBITRATION OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CLAIMS 

A. The Good 

1.  Predictable Substantive Law

2.  Choice of Decision-Maker

3.  Less Emotional Trauma 

4.  True Expert Testimony 

5.  Reduced Cost and Time 

B. The Bad 

1.  Arbitrability Challenges 

2.  Potential Increase in Number of Awards 

3.  Limited Review of Arbitration Awards 

4.  No Binding Precedent 

C. Why the Healthcare System Has Not Adopted Arbitration 

1.  The Comfort-Level with Litigation 

2.  Limited History 

3.  Physicians Are In the Dark 

VI. CONCLUSION 

SAMPLE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ABRITRAL AGREEMENT