Can the elderly be bound by arbitration agreements?

If any of us were to read the fine print on many of the contracts we sign, such as for cable TV and many other services and products, we would see that we often have agreed that disputes will be resolved by arbitration.

Arbitration means that instead of suing in court we and the company with which we have a dispute must go before an individual who listens to all the evidence and then makes a decision.

On its face, arbitration sounds great because it is supposedly less expensive and more efficient. But it also means there’s no jury that may be more sympathetic with our case, especially when it...