Why Property Claims Should Be Resolve in Mediation

Published May 16th, 2022 by Claim Help Lawyers

Struggling to get paid for claims by your insurance company for your home, or business insurance policy? Is your insurance company delaying or not paying the amount needed for your home or business claim?

If you need help getting the amounts you deserve then you should retain an attorney to assist you with the claim and encouraging the carrier o request mediation with your insurance company may avoid delays.

Mediation can help you receive adequate money from your property claims that your insurance company fails to cover. Keep reading to learn more about the mediation process and what to expect.

What Is a Mediation?

When you choose mediation to resolve a property claim, it is an informal, voluntary, finality to a claim if all parties agree to a settlement. This is an informal negotiation between you and your insurance company’s representative with a neutral mediator guiding the process.

Mediation gives you the opportunity to discuss the dispute with your home insurer’s adjuster about coverage issues or amounts owed by your insurance company for its responsibility to indemnify you.

As mentioned, mediation is binding if all parties agree. This means you don't have to accept an offer during mediation, however, having counsel on your side will assist you with an accurate outcome that you participate in and make your own decision on.

What to Expect at Your Mediation

Keep in mind that the mediator's experience, education and skills can make a difference when meditating your client’s case. It's important to have a mediator who can give you an even playing field with knowledge of the claims process and knowledge of the policy language from the insurance company.

Generally, mediator’s costs are divided by both parties and that cost is a value that is priceless when you resolve a claim early on and are able to repair your property promptly.

Insurance company employees are trained to handle negotiations, mediation, and litigation techniques. The mediation is your opportunity to be involved in the outcome of the claim and see and hear from your carrier directly to understand what both sides believe the strength of the arguments are and will be based on the facts and circumstances of the claim.

Depending on how the mediation goes, it can lead to an agreement or a lawsuit. Mediations can take anywhere from an hour to multiple days.

Be Prepared for Your Mediation

Mediation is a great way to solve insurance claims and coverage disputes because it is fast and cheaper than going to court.

The more prepared you are for mediation, the better chance you're able to settle your case.

This means less time and money spent on the mediation process. It's okay to walk away and not take the insurance company's offer. In fact, you should be prepared to walk away if you don't feel good about the offer.

The job of the mediator is to use techniques to find an agreement for both parties involved. The goal is to agree on a settlement amount.

Expect to have the mediator bring both parties into the same room where you both present your evidence. The mediator then separates you into different rooms to speak with each party alone. They then go back and forth between you and the insurance company to come to an agreement.

This is a method used to avoid confrontations and keep the discussions as constructive as possible.

Do You Need a Property Attorney?

You should be represented by counsel at every point in the claim process to be protected and to have an experienced attorney advocate in your favor.

Having a property attorney or property lawyer who is experienced and familiar with the process represent you, will provide an invaluable strategic steps to help you get a fair and reasonable settlement.

An experienced lawyer can spot potential issues with your case and assist you with how to make a final decision on the settlement.