Answer: Mediation is a meeting where both sides (through their attorneys) sit down with a neutral third party called a mediator to try to resolve the lawsuit without going to trial. In Ohio, courts often refer cases like nursing home injury or wrongful death claims to mediation to see if a settlement can be reached before a lengthy trial. It’s not a courtroom proceeding – it’s more like a structured conversation facilitated by the mediator. We are doing it to explore a possible settlement in a less formal setting. This gives the nursing home (and their insurance company) a chance to put money on the table, and it gives you a chance to consider that offer. Even if we don’t settle, mediation can flush out the best offer the defendant is willing to make. It often forces the nursing home’s insurers to decide how much they value the case. In short, mediation is an opportunity to potentially resolve the case faster and with less expense and stress than a trial, if a fair agreement can be reached.
