In Florida personal injury cases, opposing sides often find it difficult to resolve their differences in order to reach a settlement. For this reason, mediation is often used as a way for parties to communicate and, hopefully, come to a conclusion that satisfies both sides without going to court.
What is Mediation?
At its core, legal mediation serves as a negotiation between two parties involved in a lawsuit—the plaintiff and the defendant. Mediation is informal but also confidential; it allows both parties to communicate with each other easily.
During mediation, both sides meet together and with a neutral third party (called a mediator) whose job is to initiate productive conversation, each side is encouraged to see the other’s point of view and move toward a resolution.
Why Use Mediation?
In most personal injury cases, those involved aren’t in agreement. Whether it be two individuals involved in a car accident or a driver in dispute with their insurance company, disagreements are bound to take place.
Rather than go straight to court to solve the issue, many choose to use mediation to reach a beneficial conclusion. In fact, it’s fairly common for personal injury cases to be resolved using mediation.
Most people choose to try mediation first because it saves time and resources no matter how you slice it. Litigation is a very expensive process; whereas mediation can be done fairly cheaply if a conclusion is reached.
In mediation, both parties meet with their mediator to discuss the case. Both sides have the opportunity to present their side to the mediator privately. The mediator will go back and forth to help each side see a compromise with the other.
At the end of the mediation, the case will hopefully have a resolution.
Does Mediation Really Work?
The process of mediation does help many cases reach a settlement decision without having to use additional money or resources. However, there are always times when both sides simply cannot agree and require a judge to make a legal decision for them.
It all depends on your situation and whether you feel the mediation offer is fair.
If you’re facing litigation or mediation for a personal injury case, hiring the right Florida personal injury attorney can mean all the difference in your success. Contact the knowledgeable team at Lorenzo & Lorenzo today for a free consultation.