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Mediation in Personal Injury Action – What to Expect

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Mediation in Personal Injury Action – What to Expect

Don’t delay discussing your matter with us to find out how to build a winning case.

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You don’t pay us unless we win your case. No Out of pocket expenses required.

Note: Your Privacy is Safe with us. We will never disclose your information to external parties.

Mediation is one step in the litigation process that can help parties settle the action outside of the courtroom. Ultimately, it can save the parties both time and money and allow the parties to have a direct input in the outcome of their case. The mediation process is informal and confidential and the parties involved can openly discuss the case on a without prejudice basis. The mediator’s role is to help the parties better understand the issues and conflicts involved in the action. The mediator will facilitate negotiations, with the goal of attempting to help the parties reach a settlement that is beneficial to both sides of the dispute.

It is very rare these days that a personal injury action will proceed all the way to trial. Approximately 95% of personal injury cases will settle before trial and mediation has played a large role in making a trial a rarity. Under Rule 24.1 of the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure mediation is mandatory in Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa, and even where mediation is not mandatory, most lawyers will recommend it to their clients at an early stage of the litigation. The mediation is conducted by an agreed upon mediator on a roster list of mediators, or the parties may select a private mediator not on the roster. Generally, the parties involved split the costs of mediation.

All parties must attend the mediation session. In personal injury actions it is often the case that the Defendant will be represented by his or her insurer, in which case a representative from the insurance company will attend the mediation. All parties have a chance to present their side of the story. Most accident victims find that the mediation process is beneficial in allowing them to actively participate in the litigation and convey concerns that may have not been initially apparent to their accident lawyer and the other side. However, participation of the parties in the mediation is voluntary and some may prefer to leave the discussions solely to their counsel.

In order for the mediation to be successful both parties have to be willing to engage in productive negotiations and have an understanding of what their bottom line is, namely, their best alternative to taking the case to trial. To best prepare it is important to have a strong grasp on what you are trying to accomplish from the litigation, what your limits to settlement are, whether there are solutions that might be beneficial to both sides, and what will happen if the case does not settle. The lawyers will exchange mediation briefs to each other and to the mediator. The mediation briefs provide a concise summary of the case, outline the positions and interests of the parties and the issues in dispute, and indicate what each party hopes to achieve from the mediation.

Mediators have different styles as to how they wish to structure the mediation. The process usually begins with the parties’ lawyers making opening remarks about the case. Some mediators may prefer to meet with all parties together first and then separate them into different rooms and flow back and forth between the rooms to engage in separate discussions. On the other hand, some mediators may prefer to separate the parties from the get-go.

The length of the mediation and number of sessions required really depends on the complexity of the case; however, under Mandatory Mediation, parties are not required to continue the mediation for more than three hours. Ultimately, the discussions taking place between the parties and the mediator will involve the parties’ exchanging offers and counter-offers to attempt to settle the dispute.

The parties may agree to settle some or all of the issues of the dispute. Any agreements will be made in writing (Minutes of Settlement) and signed by the parties and their counsel. The Minutes of Settlement is a legally binding document and if a party breaches the settlement the other side can enforce the terms of the agreement in court. Even if the case does not settle at the mediation it is often the case that some of the issues in the dispute have been narrowed and the parties have a better understanding of the other side’s case and the strength of their own case. This helps lay the groundwork for moving the matter forward more efficiently.

Our personal injury team has settled many cases at the mediation stage of litigation with large settlement numbers for our clients. A successful mediation requires a comprehensive understanding of the law as well as strong negotiation techniques. The experienced lawyers at Himelfarb Proszanski are able to assist you with your personal injury action at all steps in the litigation process.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is a general guideline made available for educational purposes only and is not intended to be used as legal advice for the reader’s specific situation nor in general. By reading our blog and website content, the reader acknowledges the above and understands there is no lawyer-client relationship created between you and Himelfarb Proszanski through this content. To get specific legal advice, we encourage you to book a free consultation with one of our lawyers to clarify the legal aspects of your situation.

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Don’t delay discussing your matter with us to find out how to build a winning case.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

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Note: Your Privacy is Safe with us. We will never disclose your information to external parties.

Timing is Critical. Help is Free.

Don’t delay discussing your matter with us to find out how to build a winning case.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

You don’t pay us unless we win your case. No Out of pocket expenses required.

Note: Your Privacy is Safe with us. We will never disclose your information to external parties.

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What They Say About Us

Sherene AlySherene Aly
16:02 23 Mar 24
I was very pleased with my decision to retain David and his team for my case. Melissa Gizzo was simply amazing and was able to secure a fair settlement for me.
T TT T
17:46 16 Feb 24
Experienced and excellent law firm. Their lawyers are wonderful, articulate, dilligent, amicable, calm, respectful, responsible, resourceful and have good human and customer relationships Especially DAN HOLLAND 👌 He is an amazing lawyer as regards dealing with any of the Accident case.I was involvedIn an accident in 2019 February. He was God sent as he dutifully and relentlessly worked hard until the case was settled
LizLiz
22:43 18 Jan 24
I highly recommend Dan Holland as a disability lawyer. His commitment to my case made the process seamless. Dan's clear communication and ability to simplify complex legal matters made it easy for me to understand every step. He demonstrated genuine concern for my best interests, making him not only a skilled attorney but also someone easy to talk to.Dan’s support extended beyond legal expertise; he alleviated my stress during the long-term disability case. His calm approach and unhurried demeanour ensured that there was no rush in our collaboration. This, coupled with his dedication, made the entire experience more manageable, fostering confidence in his ability to handle the case with meticulous care.I wholeheartedly endorse Dan for anyone seeking a lawyer who not only gets results but also prioritizes your peace of mind.
Neeshanth SritharanNeeshanth Sritharan
21:49 01 Jan 24
My mom was involved in an accident impacting her daily life and ability to work. Dan Holland has worked with us during the duration of our case and has been helpful in fighting for her and supporting us, and organizing the things we needed. Our family is incredibly grateful of the outcome Dan was able to obtain for us. I would highly recommend him!
Faiza HamidFaiza Hamid
01:26 22 Dec 23
I'm so happy I chose Mena Brar and her team represet us . We could not ask for a better team she is so kind, loyal, and honest. she spoke to me as an equal and made me feel as if my case was definitely important and that I deserved to be fairly compensated. I appreciate you. Did it for me and how this will help me get back on track with my life. keep helping others. You are doing amazing works, Mena Brar. I wish you all the best.
Brenda FurtadoBrenda Furtado
23:38 12 Dec 23
Many thanks to Silene Malhao for settling my husband's TORT claim and to Mena Brar for settling his accident benefits claim. These ladies made themselves available any time we had a question. They were very understanding and compassionate. We were completely taken care of throughout this process. We would definitely recommend this team to friends and family!
ShaunaShauna
15:52 06 Dec 23
We are so happy that we had David and his team represent us. We couldn't have asked for a better team. Not only is David incredibly skilled and experienced, he is kind and compassionate and it is clear how much he cares for his clients. Megan was also absolutely amazing to work with and was always on top of everything and there to answer any questions we had! Thank you!
Andrew CoutoAndrew Couto
23:10 21 Nov 23
I'm so happy I chose David as my lawyer. I spoke to a few lawyers before finding David and I noticed majority of them spoke to me in a way that felt demeaning or that my case wasn't big enough or important enough to take. One phone call with David and my opinion on lawyers changed. He spoke to me as an equal and made me feel as if my case was definitely important and that I deserved to be fairly compensated. The whole process was wonderful. From dealing with David's law clerk Ingrid whom is an amazing and kind woman to his legal assistant Melissa whom is another amazing kind and talented young woman. I was so stressed about this case but from day 1 they helped ease that stress and always answered all my questions promptly and respectfully. I couldn't believe David got me to mediation within 6 months of being cut off my LTD and got me a settlement way beyond my expectations. I can't say enough good things about this law firm but I guarantee you that if you need a lawyer to fight for you David is your guy! . Believe me when I say this is the law firm for anyone dealing with personal injuries especially LTD denial claims. Thank you so much to David, Ingrid and Melissa you truly don't know how much I appreciate all you did for me and how this will help me get back on track with my life. Keep helping others you guys are doing amazing work! I wish you all the best!
Rose RegazziRose Regazzi
21:15 11 Oct 23
I sustained a relatively painful injury, affecting me long term.I wouldn't otherwise had pursued it, as it involved a relatively large corporation, but felt it necessary to do so. However, many lawyers were daunted, with one, who actually referred me to HIMPRO.I was connected with Dan Holland, who reviewed the case, provided with me realistic expectations, sound advice and had a willingness to move forward and represent me.His calm and professional demeanor, brought me to a place of reassurance. His ease in addressing all facets of this process, clearly demonstrated a wealth of experience. There was never any hesitation, when being challenged, and felt my best interest was always in the forefront.This case has since been resolved, to my complete satisfaction.Without reservation, HIMPRO (and Dan Holland, in particular), would be the only firm I would recommend for these type of cases.
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HIMPRO is a leading law firm with full service personal injury and disability insurance lawyers. We have been recognized by Best Lawyers and assigned the highest rating, AV Preeminent, from Martindale-Hubbell. We provide a combined century of trial experience which has led to the successful settlement of over 10,000 cases with combined settlement value in excess of 3/4 billion dollars. Our mission is to win your case. At HIMPRO by Himelfarb Proszanski LLP we build winning cases. That’s the HIMPRO Advantage™.

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