In Re Weekley Homes, L.P.

We are asked to decide whether Week-ley Homes, L.P., a party to a contract containing an arbitration clause, can compel arbitration of a personal injury claim brought by Patricia Von Bargen, a nonparty. We have previously compelled arbitration by nonparties to an arbitration agreement when they brought suit “based on a contract,” 1 which Von Bargen purports to avoid here.

But as both state and federal courts have recognized, nonparties may be bound to an arbitration clause when the rules of law or equity would bind them to the contract generally. Because we find those rules applicable here, we…