The insurers brought a motion to combine or hear together nine separate arbitration proceedings involving eleven applicants who received treatment from affiliated clinics.
The insurers argued the cases shared common issues regarding the reasonableness of the clinics' fees and alleged conflicts of interest.
The arbitrator dismissed the motion, finding that the cases involved distinct factual inquiries into each applicant's injuries and treatment needs, and that combining them would be unmanageable.
Instead, the arbitrator ordered that one case proceed first to provide guidance for the remaining cases, which were adjourned pending that decision.
