Category: Law and Information

Forced arbitration is a legal process that keeps a lawsuit from going to the public courts with juries. Instead, the case is handled privately by a disinterested third party. Unlike public court, any information from the case is not released to the public. These cases usually rule in favor of the employer or company, or in this circumstance, JPMorgan Chase.

JPMorgan Chase is trying to reintroduce a forced arbitration clause they got rid of ten years ago. They agreed to temporarily drop the clause after a class-action lawsuit in 2009 that argued large banks work together to force customers into arbitration. Chase continued with the lift on the clause into 2016 because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued rules that prohibited mandatory arbitration for financial products, including credit cards. In a way, CFPB agreed with the 2009 ruling: consumers deserve their day in court. But in 2017, President Trump overturned the rules. Now, 72% of banks use arbitration clauses. According to Patricia Wexler, a JPMorgan spokesperson, arbitration is already “standard practice” for their consumer banking and auto loan business, and so they want to extend the policy to their credit card accounts.

On October 30, 2018, in Washington D.C., the Restoring Justice for Workers Act was introduced to overrule the 2018 Supreme Court decision in Epic Systems v. Lewis.

In May 2018, Epic Systems v. Lewis allowed employers to use forced arbitration clauses to prevent workers from accessing their legal rights. These clauses are typically buried in fine print. Employers could collectively force their employees to waive their rights to pursue work-related claims.

Arbitration is an alternative to filing a lawsuit that is designed to streamline legal issues in a cost-conscious manner. In almost any arbitration, the complaining party will send the opposing party a notice of their intent to arbitrate a dispute. There is generally a period for response, following by a selection of arbitrators, and the actual hearing.

If you’re looking to hire a lawyer, you may be wondering what kind of lawyer you need. There isn’t only one type of litigation. Cases can be criminal or civil and it’s important to know the differences between these types so you know what to expect for your litigation process.

If you’ve been a victim of negligence, a Louisville personal injury lawyer from Thomas Law Offices can help you with your case and will fight to get you a fair settlement. Contact us today for a free consultation of your case. You’ll speak with an experienced lawyer about the merits of your case and the best course of action for you.

As a general rule, an attorney needs to be licensed to practice law in the state in which he or she is representing an individual. There are however, exceptions to this rule.

Many people have a general idea of what to do when they’ve been injured in an accident or due to negligence—file a claim against the responsible party. For example, in a car accident the person would file a claim against the driver because they were going over the speed limit. But there may be some confusion of what your legal options are after you’ve been injured because of your city’s or county’s negligence.

You could have gotten in a car accident because a cop didn’t signal a turn or ran a red light, or you could have slipped inside a government building that didn’t indicate the floor was wet. In these cases, you may have grounds to prepare for a lawsuit, but there are certain steps you need to take first.