Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Aug 30, 2023
JOAN RISTER and FRED RISTER, Plaintiffs-Respondents v. NHC HEALTHCARE – OSAGE BEACH, LLC, d/b/a OSAGE BEACH REHABILITATION & HEALTHCARE CENTER, Defendant-Appellant
Joan Rister was admitted to NHC Healthcare, and her husband, Fred Rister, signed an arbitration agreement on her behalf. After Joan suffered an injury, the Risters sued, and NHC moved to compel arbitration. The trial court denied NHC's motion, finding no evidence Fred had legal authority to sign for Joan and that Joan's mere status as a third-party beneficiary was insufficient to bind her. The appellate court affirmed, agreeing that NHC failed to prove a valid arbitration agreement existed or that Joan was estopped from denying its effect.