Is mandatory arbitration an option?
Arbitration is a more informal procedure to resolve disputes than trial. It involves a licensed attorney acting as arbitrator and the parties putting their evidence before the arbitrator in a less formal evidentiary proceeding. Arbitration still requires witnesses to attend and give testimony, but many times the testimony of doctors can be provided through reports, thus saving considerable sums of money in expert witness fees. In King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, and some outlying rural counties, arbitration is mandatory for claims which are $35,000 or less.
