Lucchese Boot Co. v. Solano
Jose Solano, a former employee of Lucchese Boot Company, filed a non-subscriber negligence suit after suffering work-related injuries. Lucchese sought to compel arbitration, first under its Benefit Plan, which was denied, and then under its Problem Resolution Program. The trial court denied the motion to compel arbitration under the Program, leading to this appeal. The appellate court reversed the trial court's decision, finding that a valid and enforceable arbitration agreement existed under the Problem Resolution Program. It determined that Solano's claims fell within the scope of the agreement and that co-defendants Bartolo Mata and Rigoberto Gutierrez were proper parties as third-party beneficiaries. The court also rejected Solano's defenses of procedural unconscionability, waiver, and estoppel, remanding the case for further proceedings consistent with the appellate ruling.