MINNEAPOLIS — A study of consumer lending cases concluded that consumers find the arbitration process to be beneficial in resolving legal claims, and reports that consumers are disadvantaged by the contractual arbitration are erroneous.

Observations from the study include:

• Consumers prevailed more often than business in cases that went to an arbitration hearing. A review of the National Arbitration Forum cases that resulted in an arbitration decision shows that consumers are more likely to prevail than the business involved in the dispute; 55 percent of the arbitrations were resolved in the consumer's favor. This compares favorably with similar results in state courts across the nation.
  

  
  

  
  

• Consumers obtained favorable results in close to 80 percent of the cases that were administered by the National Arbitration Forum.
  

  
  

  
  

• A majority of consumers surveyed were satisfied with the arbitration process as shown through the 69 percent who indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the arbitration process as conducted by the National Arbitration Forum.
  

  
  

  The study, titled "Outcomes of Arbitration," was conducted by Ernst & Young.