Court Opinion

ID: 9764668
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:35:37.819709+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:00.200460
License: Public Domain

McDERMOTT, Justice,
dissenting.
The majority begins its analysis by stating that a reversal of a decision made by common law arbitrators will only occur where there is fraud, misconduct, or some type of irregularity which causes an unjust, inequitable or unconscionable award. It then bypasses the fraud, misconduct and irregularity requirements and concludes that because the contract was ambiguous, it should have been interpreted against the drafter and in favor of the appellant. Although I would agree with the result reached here had we been called upon to review an award rendered pursuant to the Uniform Arbitration Act, 42 Pa.C.S. § 7841, our powers of review are severely limited when the award is made by a common law arbitration panel. To ignore the difference between the two, as was done here, serves to emasculate the power of common law arbitration and render the distinction between the two types of panels moot. Thus, I dissent.