To Mediate Or Not To Mediate? View Point From An Insurance Law Practitioner

In recent years, there has been a slow but steady movement for parties involved in an insurance dispute to choose mediation as a way of resolving their differences instead of engaging each other in an expensive, stressful, and time-consuming legal battle in court or in an arbitration tribunal and ending up with an outcome they might not be happy with. If you reach an impasse in negotiations with an insurance company over the settlement of your insurance claim, you may wish to attempt mediation before jumping into the courtroom or arbitration proceedings.

Basics of mediation

In mediation, the parties involved in a dispute come to the negotiating table with a neutral third person (the mediator) who is trained and experienced to help them come to a mutually satisfactory solution of their conflict. Mediation is entirely voluntary. It only happens if both sides request it, and a settlement of the dispute through mediation is reached only if both sides agree to it. The