Category: Arbitration: Existence of Agreement

Arbitration Agreement: No Agreement With Insufficient Evidence Of Signing Or Authorization Of Agent To Sign

A Reference To "Dementia" Signals Where The Court Was Headed.         Harold and Lucy West and their adult daughter Deon were approached by a salesperson from Elite Home Remodeling, Inc. regarding solar panel installation and bathroom renovation. Harold and Lucy, in their 90s and suffering from dementia, did not use email, computers, or mobile phones. […]

Burden Of Proof: Authority Is Split Over What Constitutes Sufficient Evidence To Dispute Handwritten Signature On Arbitration AgreementOn Arbitra

The Fifth District Rules That It Is Not Enough For The Employee To Say He Doesn't Remember Signing After The Employer Produces Employee's Handwritten Signature.         Carlos Ramirez filed a class action lawsuit against his employer Golden Queen Mining Company LLC alleging wage and hour violations. The employer moved to compel arbitration and produced an […]

Employment: Employee Who Refused To Accept Arbitration Agreement As Condition Of Employment And Promptly Told Employer So Was Not Bound To Arbitrate Despite Continuing Employment

Is An Employee Who Continues To Be Employed After Being Informed That Arbitration Is A Condition Of Continued Employment Bound By The Arbitration Agreement?         “California law in this area is settled: when an employee continues his or her employment after notification that an agreement to arbitration is a condition of continued employment, that employee […]

Internet Commerce: Clickwrap Arbitration Agreement Was Unenforceable Because Seller “Undid” Notice

An Effective Clickwrap Agreement Provides Notice Of Arbitration, Which, However, Can Be Undone.         Plaintiffs, who purchased the Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System to manage their diabetes, and sued the manufacturer alleging the the Dexcom G6 was defective and caused injuries. Dexcom moved to compel arbitration, based on a clickwrap agreement referring to arbitration. […]

Employment, Existence Of Arbitration Agreement: Employer Failed To Show Arbitration Agreement Existed During Second Employment Stint

Termination Of Employment Stint #1 Terminated Arbitration Agreement.         Plaintiff Jasmin Vazquez sued SaniSure, Inc. for Labor Code violations. SaniSure moved to compel arbitration based on the existence of a broad arbitration clause in Vazquez's employment agreement. SaniSure failed in the trial court and in the Court of Appeal. Vazquez v. SaniSure, Inc. (2/6  4/3/24) […]

Internet Commerce: Second District Div. 2 Rejects Invitation To Broadly Enforce Browserwrap Arbitration Agreement

The Court Also Rejected Argument That Federal Preemption Required Enforcement Of Browserwrap Arbitration Provision.         Plaintiff Brinan Weeks sued Interactive Life Forms, LLC in a putative class action, alleging that it made false claims, alleging "that he purchased a device called a Stamina Training Unit (STU) from the fleshlight.com website (the website) on or around […]

Arbitration, Scope: 9th Circuit Ruled Amazon Arbitration Agreement With Flex Drivers Did Not Apply To Spying On Drivers On Facebook

Two Judge Majority With Judge Susan P. Graber Concurring And Dissenting.         Amazon Flex Drivers sued Amazon for allegedly spying on them in a closed Facebook group where the drivers discussed employment-related issues when they were not working. A panel of the 9th Circuit held that a 2016 arbitration agreement applied, because the employer seems […]

Unconscionability: Second District, Div. 8 Holds That Illegible Contract Is Fair, And Therefore Not Unconscionable

Majority Of Panel Holds That Substantive Unconscionability Was Missing. Justice Stratton Dissents.          Writing for the majority, Justice John Shepard Wiley Jr. explains that the above contract is enforceable, requiring the plaintiff employee to arbitrate her dispute. Though the document is manifestly illegible, Justice Wiley concludes that the contract is fair. Therefore, there is no […]

Existence Of Agreement: There Is No Agreement Where Nursing Home Stroke Victim Lacked Capacity To Contract

Nursing Homes Continue To Create Arbitration Problems.         If our readers use the sidebar search box, they will discover other cases involving nursing homes. Sometimes the problem of enforcing an arbitration agreement involving a nursing home resident arises because a relative signs for the resident, and issues arise as to whether the relative had authority […]

Internet Commerce: Ninth Circuit Agrees Online Ticket Purchasers Were Bound By Agreement To Arbitrate

CONSPICUOUS NOTICE.         In a putative antitrust class action, plaintiffs sued Live Nation Entertainment, Inc./Ticketmaster LLC for charging "supra-competitive fees" for tickets to events. Defendants moved successfully to compel arbitration in the trial court, and the Ninth Circuit affirmed. Oberstein et al v. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. et al (9th Cir.  2/13/23) (Boggs, Wardlaw, Ikuta).     […]