Amtrak Arbitration Agreement
Mutual Agreement to Arbitrate (“Arbitration Agreement”). This Arbitration Agreement is intended to be as broad as legally permissible, and, except as it otherwise provides, applies to all claims, disputes, or controversies, past, present, or future, that otherwise would be resolved in a court of law or before a forum other than arbitration. Amtrak and Customer (on behalf of yourself and any individuals for whom you purchase tickets, including, without limitation, family members, minor passengers, colleagues and companions (collectively “You” or “Your”), AGREE that this Arbitration Agreement applies, without limitation, to claims Amtrak may have against You and claims You may have against Amtrak and any affiliates or related entities, or against any party to which Amtrak owes indemnity (which party may also enforce this Agreement), including without limitation any host railroad, based upon or related to: these Terms and Conditions, breach of contract, tort claims, common law claims, Your relationship with Amtrak, tickets, services and accommodations provided by Amtrak, carriage on Amtrak trains and equipment, any personal injuries (including, but not limited to, claims for negligence, gross negligence, physical impairment, disfigurement, pain and suffering, mental anguish, wrongful death, survival actions, loss of consortium and/or services, medical and hospital expenses, expenses of transportation for medical treatment, expenses of drugs and medical appliances, emotional distress, exemplary or punitive damages arising out of or related to any personal injury), and any claims for discrimination and failure to accommodate, shall be decided by a single arbitrator through binding arbitration and not by a judge or jury. Except with respect to the Class Action Waiver below, the arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the validity, applicability, enforceability, unconscionability or waiver of this Arbitration Agreement, including, but not limited to any claim that all or any part of this Arbitration Agreement is void or voidable. This Arbitration Agreement is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) and evidences a transaction involving commerce. The arbitration will be conducted before a single arbitrator under the Consumer Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), which are available at the AAA website (www.adr.org). A court of competent jurisdiction shall have the authority to enter judgment upon the arbitrator’s decision/award. The parties agree to bring any claim or dispute in arbitration on an individual basis only, and not as a class or representative action, and there will be no right or authority for any claim or dispute to be brought, heard or arbitrated as a class or representative action (“Class Action Waiver”). Regardless of anything else in this Arbitration Agreement and/or the applicable AAA Rules, any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability or waiver of the Class Action Waiver may only be determined by a court and not an arbitrator. This Arbitration Agreement does not apply to any claim or dispute that an applicable federal statute states cannot be arbitrated.
One Response
It does not seem to fair to me that they spring this arbitration clause on you at the point of purchase.
I mean do you really have any choice at that point? Who can reschedule a whole train trip?