Become an Arbitrator

Member arbitrators are a vital force that makes the Intercompany Arbitration process such a success

Arbitrators' contribution to the insurance industry results in:

Reduced case turnaround time
Reduced disputed claim-handling costs

Arbitrators become the in-house arbitration experts by:

Learning good or alternative ways to prepare a file for arbitration
Becoming more familiar with AF's rules and regulations
Sharing knowledge gained with others in the office

Eligibility Criteria

Arbitrators foster positive relations with other claims carriers. Read the following criteria carefully.

To serve as a member arbitrator, the candidate must be employed by a member company (or a non-member in a state where arbitration through AF is mandatory by statute).
To serve as an Automobile, Medical Payment, and/or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) arbitrator, a minimum of three years of claims adjusting experience is required.
To serve as a Special Arbitration arbitrator, a minimum of five years of Auto Liability and/or general liability claims adjusting experience to resolve disputes concerning contribution/negligence, third-party concurrent coverage, or workers' compensation subrogation.
To serve as a Property Arbitration arbitrator, a minimum of five years of claims adjusting experience is required. To hear Property cases involving alleged product defects, at least three of the five years' experience must be specific to product liability.
To serve as a New York Personal Injury Protection (NY PIP) arbitrator, a candidate must have a minimum of three years of NY PIP claims adjusting experience.

Please note that all forums require supervisory approval and permission to devote time to hear cases.

If you meet these requirements for any of AF's arbitration programs, you may begin the application process for becoming an arbitrator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are arbitrators paid positions within AF?

Regrettably, the arbitrator position is not a paid position by Arbitration Forums, Inc. Member companies provide arbitrators to hear cases.

Does AF provide any study material for the Auto Rules, Agreement, and Claim Knowledge (ARACK) exam?

Unfortunately, there is no study material for any of the Rules exams or simulations except the Reference Guide to Arbitration Forums' Agreements and Rules, which can be used during the exam.

The ARACK contains 25 multiple-choice questions to measure your general automobile claims knowledge, in addition to our Rules and Agreements. The claims knowledge questions have been taken with permission from the Multiple Choice Questions Workbook — AIC 32, 3rd Edition published in 2010 by Keir Educational Resources. The exam is taken nationwide and does not apply to any specific jurisdiction, so avoid applying your local law when answering these questions.

How do I know if I passed the Writing Quality Decisions quiz?

An email will be sent to you within 7 days indicating a pass or fail score. If the minimum score of 80 has not been obtained, the email will include a link to attempt the exam again.

How long after becoming certified will I receive my certificate or why haven’t I received my certificate of completion?

If you have completed the entire certification process, which includes the Rules exam, webinar, and hearing simulations, a certificate of completion will be emailed within two weeks of completion. If you have only completed the designated forum Rules exam and the Writing Quality Decisions quiz, there is no certificate provided. For any questions or assistance, please send an email to arbitrator@arbfile.org.

I am employed by a TPA and file arbitrations, but my company is not a signatory. May I become an arbitrator?

No. Only employees of the signatory companies may participate as arbitrators (or employees of non-signatory insurers or self-insureds in states where arbitration through AF is mandatory by statute). The restriction is to maintain safeguards to the objectivity of the arbitrators. By restricting arbitrators to member employees, they are readily identified as impartial, both personally and from a company viewpoint, in a case assigned to them. While others may be qualified technically to serve as an arbitrator, it would be difficult to ensure that an arbitrator from an organization that may represent many signatories didn’t have a business relationship identified with one of the arbitrating parties in an assigned case.

I completed a quiz after the Writing Quality Decisions training, and I just received an email informing me that I need to complete another exam. Do I need to complete that exam to meet the requirements to start reviewing cases?

The answer to this question varies depending on the Forum(s) or dispute type(s) you are seeking to arbitrate. Please contact us via email at arbitrator@arbfile.org or call us at 866-977-3434.

I was an arbitrator with Alpha Insurance years ago; I’m currently with Beta Insurance and would like to start hearing cases again. How do I go about being reactivated?

Complete an updated profile form and send it to arbitrator@arbfile.org. An email will be provided that includes the requirements for reactivation.

My company has a training session scheduled with an AF Trainer for employees to become arbitrators. Do I still need to register for the Writing Quality Decisions webinar individually, or can we just complete one registration?

If an onsite training or private Webinar is scheduled with your company, no individual registration is needed.

What else do I need to do to complete the process of becoming an arbitrator?

Review the information in your initial email and verify that all requirements have been completed. If you are not sure if you have completed all the requirements for becoming an arbitrator, please contact our office at 866-977-3434 or send an email to arbitrator@arbfile.org requesting the status of your progress.