Often times when the parties can’t agree to a negotiated settment on their own, they agree to submit the matter to mediation.

The mediator tries to facilitate an agreement— get the sides together.

Sometimes the help of a 3rd party gets the job done.

Today we had that happen, and my clients were very happy with the results, and truly relieved their injury case was concluded on favorable terms.

In many blogs I bash the insurance industry, but you’ll seldom hear me bash insurance claims adjusters who are following instruction, direction and control of a supervisor, who, in turn, is doing the same thing all the way up the food chain depending on the value of the case.

The insurance adjuster handling the case today was a lady who could not have been 30.

I have to say I was impressed with the way she handled the case.

Young adjusters, like young cops and young lawyers tend to have a chip on their shoulders; it’s part of the growing experience. I remember it well.

She did not exhibit it today.

She genuinely seemed interested in doing the right thing, even if through her pro-insurance perspective.

In my opinion, she has a promising career in the insurance industry. Maybe she will, one day, do what Ron Callahan of my office did: leave the insurance industry ( the forces of darkness), and join the good guys, and fight for, not against, injury victims!

In any event, what is funny is that we were not able to accomplish what we did today without mediation.

She took a certain view of the case, and was reluctant to let go of it.

But at the mediation she got to meet my clients, who came across as very normal and decent folks.

She knew they were telling the truth, and that the medical records, which was her only view of the case before today, did not fully reflect the value of the case.

In fairness I must also say that, in order to settle the case, my side had to compromise and come down from our demands.

That’s how it works.

At the mediation was her supervisor, a fellow in his late 30’s if I had to guess. I’d dealt with him over the phone on a few cases and really enjoyed working with him.

I met him face-to-face today, and when he arrived in a New England Patriots jacket, I knew he was my kind of guy.

We were able to do battle in a very friendly & relaxed manner, being respectful of each other’s positions.

You never knock down a door if you can simply open it.

And it was rewarding to see my clents get a chunk of justice, enough to make their lives a bit easier.

That experience makes the work of an injury lawyer worth it.

Keep your strength.

Charlie Donahue

injury lawyer