A. This article also applies to claims for bodily injury arising out of medical malpractice that are subject to arbitration either by law or if the parties have agreed to its application by contract.

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 12-594

  • Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Bodily injury: means bodily harm, sickness, disease or emotional or mental distress, including death resulting from any of these conditions at any time, sustained by a person. See Arizona Laws 12-581
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.

B. Parties to an action on any claim for bodily injury arising out of medical malpractice may file with the clerk of the court in which the action is pending, or, if none is pending, with the clerk of a court of competent jurisdiction over the claim, a settlement agreement for future damages payable in periodic installments. The settlement agreement may provide that one or more sections of this article apply to it.