PRE-SUIT MISARBITRATION

(STATUTES)

Disclaimer:  This is part of the 2006 version of Florida Statutes and it is offered for general information purposes.  The statutes on this site should not be relied on without reviewing your legal situation with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer and making sure you are using the appropriate version of the statute for your case.  The provisions applicable to your potential claim may or may not be the version that was in effect at the time of the incident because some changes to statutes are retroactive and some changes are not.  Other statutes and other case law interpreting or applying these statutes may also apply to your case. 

(The information on this site applies to Florida only)

766.21  Misarbitration.--

(1)  At any time during the course of voluntary binding arbitration of a medical negligence claim pursuant to s. 766.207, the administrative law judge serving as chief arbitrator on the arbitration panel, if he or she determines that agreement cannot be reached, shall be authorized to dissolve the arbitration panel and request the director of the Division of Administrative Hearings to appoint two new arbitrators from lists of three to five names timely provided by each party to the arbitration. Not more than one arbitrator shall be appointed from the list provided by any party, unless only one list is timely filed.

(2)  Upon appointment of the new arbitrators, arbitration shall proceed at the direction of the chief arbitrator in accordance with the provisions of ss. 766.201-766.212.

(3)  At any time after the allocation arbitration hearing under s. 766.208 has concluded, the administrative law judge serving as chief arbitrator on the arbitration panel is authorized to dissolve the arbitration panel and declare the proceedings concluded if he or she determines that agreement cannot be reached.

History.--s. 57, ch. 88-1; s. 33, ch. 88-277; s. 306, ch. 96-410; s. 1802, ch. 97-102.