A Tale of Two Palmdale Car Accidents: Mediation vs. Trial in Palmdale Car Accident Cases

Palmdale drivers may wonder exactly what a car accident case looks like in real life. On the big screen, actors often portray the life of a car accident case as one that starts with a crash, involves the help of big-shot lawyers, is played out in front of a packed courtroom with a stiff and tense audience,  a judge playing umpire at trial, and a jury verdict read from the jury box, sealing the case. In real life, however, many Palmdale car accident cases do not go all the way to trial, and, instead, are resolved before trial and perhaps even before any motions practice in the case at all. One of the ways that Palmdale car accident cases are resolved outside of court is called mediation. In this article we discuss what exactly mediation is in a Palmdale car accident case and what you can do to determine whether mediation might be right for you in your Palmdale car accident case.

Mediation in a Palmdale Car Accident Case

Mediation is a process by which parties to a legal dispute, such as a car accident, can get together for a day to try to resolve the dispute outside of the courtroom. Mediation (unless ordered by the court), is typically a voluntary process, meaning that the parties only need to go to mediation if they chose to do so of their own volition. For that reason, in order for mediation to be productive in a case, both parties to a dispute must be willing to attend mediation in good faith to try to resolve the case. Mediation is not binding, which means that the third-party neutral that oversees the mediation, called the mediator, does not render a decision, like a judge does. Instead, if the parties agree to resolve the case at the end of mediation, they can enter into a settlement agreement or memorandum of understanding, which can later become the “law” of the case. Mediation may be a good option for some people because it may be shorter and less drawn-out than taking a case all the way through the trial process. In addition, mediation provides some level of certainty to both parties, since the parties can negotiate a resolution, rather than leave that decision in the hands of a jury or a judge.

Is Mediation Right for Your Palmdale Car Accident Case?

Whether mediation is a good option in a Palmdale car accident case really varies from case to case. In order to determine whether your Palmdale car accident case may be suitable for mediation, it is, therefore, best to speak with an experienced Palmdale car accident lawyer about mediation in your specific case.

The experienced Palmdale car accident lawyers at the Trevino Law Firm offer a free and confidential consultation to learn about your Palmdale car accident case and to see if they can help you get compensation due. Contact the experienced Palmdale car accident lawyers at the Trevino Law Firm today and speak to a lawyer about your case for free.

Serving injury victims throughout the Antelope Valley, including Lancaster as well as smaller communities like Littlerock and Lake Los Angeles.