Would you know a forced arbitration clause if you saw it?  Chances are the answer is no. How many of us, when we are handed a contract, actually take the time to run the language by an attorney before we sign on the dotted line? Be aware that they may, if they haven’t already, pop up in contracts with credit cards, cell phones, bank accounts, student loans, employment, nursing homes, home building, auto loans, healthcare providers, business franchises, cable and internet providers, and more.  What are forced arbitration clauses, anyway?  Forced arbitration clauses, now used by

When an 87-year-old former nun with memory loss was sexually assaulted in her nursing home, her nieces tried to bring a lawsuit against the facility, but they had no right to sue. Why? A forced arbitration clause in the company's contract legally barred any resident from bringing a civil suit for any reason and at any time in the future.  Legal advocates estimate that as many as 90 percent of large nursing-home chains in the U.S. now include arbitration agreements in their admissions contracts. And because of this, our most vulnerable citizens are at risk for neglect, assault, and abuse wi