Accident Mediation
A formal meeting where both sides get together in an attempt to settle a case without having to resort to a trial by jury.
While it is often preferable to settle a truck accident case by simply filing a claim and receiving a settlement, it is not always that simple. If an agreeable settlement cannot be reached by written or telephone correspondence, the plaintiff's attorneys must explore other options. While this can mean going to trial, this is not necessarily the best course of action and there may be other, less stressful options.
Typically this means mediation. This is essentially a time for attorneys from both the plaintiff and the defendant to meet and discuss the evidence at hand to get a feel for how the trial might go if the case comes to that. If a resolution can be made here, the case might not go to trial at all.
Mediation typically occurs after both sides have had time to gather evidence and prepare a case but before that case goes to trial. Both sides generally would like to avoid going to trial, not only because taking a case to trial is very stressful for everyone involved, but also because trial is unpredictable. Both sides are trying to win the verdict of a jury. But every jury is different and it is impossible to predict with any certainty how a trial case will go.
The mediator in these meetings is typically a retired judge or attorney who can provide an experienced but impartial viewpoint. The mediator listens to the opening statements of each party and then separates them. The mediator then discusses the plaintiff's case with the defense counsel and listens to the defense's counter arguments. The mediator then discusses the case further with the plaintiff's attorneys. Going back and forth in this manner, the mediator tries to guide both parties to a settlement that is agreeable to everyone.
Our Houston attorneys always prefer to settle cases in this way, primarily because it saves our clients a lot of stress. But more importantly, we want to secure for our clients the best settlement possible and this sometimes means going to trial. Luckily, our attorneys have a twenty year track record of winning trial cases and so the defense counsel is often inclined to avoid going to court against us. This all works in your favor. If you are trying to settle a truck accident claim, let the experienced truck accident lawyers at Grossman Law Offices make sure your injuries are completely compensated.