(1) An arbitration under this chapter shall be conducted according to the time frames specified in this section. The time frames provided in this section run from the date all defendants have agreed to arbitration in their answers where the parties elected arbitration in the initial complaint and answer, and from the date of the execution of the stipulation where the parties agreed to enter into arbitration after the commencement of the action through a stipulation filed with the court. The arbitrator shall issue a case scheduling order in every case specifying the dates by which the requirements of (b) through (f) of this subsection must be completed.

     (a) Within forty-five days, the claimant shall provide stipulations for all relevant medical records to the defendants.

     (b) Within one hundred twenty days, the claimant shall disclose to the defendants the names and curriculum vitae or other documentation of qualifications of any expert the claimant expects to call as a witness.

     (c) Within one hundred forty days, each defendant shall disclose to the claimants the names and curriculum vitae or other documentation of qualifications of any expert the defendant expects to call as a witness.

     (d) Within one hundred sixty days, each party shall disclose to the other parties the name and curriculum vitae or other documentation of qualifications of any rebuttal expert the party expects to call as a witness.

     (e) Within two hundred forty days, all discovery shall be completed.

     (f) Within two hundred seventy days, the arbitration hearing shall commence subject to the limited authority of the arbitrator to extend this deadline under subsection (2) of this section.

     (2) It is the express public policy of the legislature that arbitration hearings under this chapter be commenced no later than twelve months after the parties elect to submit the dispute to arbitration. The arbitrator may grant a continuance of the commencement of the arbitration hearing to a date more than twelve months after the parties elect to submit the dispute to arbitration only where a party shows that exceptional circumstances create an undue and unavoidable hardship on the party.

[2006 c 8 § 309.]