Compensation claim news
27/05/2009

Mediation favoured for personal injury lawyer cases

Personal injury lawyers and victims making compensation claims are more likely to pursue satisfactory outcomes using mediation over litigation as a result of the economic downturn.

That is the expert view of a lead mediator who works for the personal injury unit (PIU) at the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).

The CEDR has developed alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques to avoid litigation and to work to achieve similar, or better, results while minimising costs.

CEDR consultant and mediator Maurice Nichols was certain that personal injury mediation will become a more popular method to resolve compensation claims.

He believed there was heightened emphasis on two key areas that influence PI claims. Firstly, claimants mostly prefer a speedy resolution and settlement of their cases, and secondly, solicitors and lawyers must be mindful of their cash flow as businesses.

By utilising a conflict resolution process, the CEDR say dialogue is "open and sensible" in contrast to the failings of litigation. Claimants are said be fairly heard while defendants such as insurers can see an end to liabilities.

This year saw the 15,000th legal case referred to the CEDR since launch in 1990 and many of those have involved personal injury lawyers and claimants.