Be Ready For Your New Career With Online Mediation Training

By Joanna Walsh


Insurance adjusters and attorneys alike are well aware of the close relationship between insurance and the legal profession. In our sue-conscious society, it is necessary for both adjusters and lawyers to remain ever vigilant in being updated on current case law. In addition, they should both consider taking an online mediation training course, though adjusters may want to really focus on this furthering education alongside their yearly insurance license renewal.

For those who are unfamiliar, mediations are special meetings with the Judge where all parties to a lawsuit are required to appear and negotiate a fair settlement of the claim. Each party must be able to show that they have a vested, or financial interest in how the case comes out in the end. Taking these cases to trial is expensive, clogs the legal system, and involves a great deal of risk where the settlement is concerned.

Because Lloyds is a large syndicate of insurance companies, they are able to spread their risk world-wide and make available insurance for risks which would otherwise be uninsurable. The claims made against them often turn into lawsuits. The difficulty for the adjuster and defense counsel for the insured, no beneficial outcome is anticipated, and they are simply attempting to settle a case as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

When the adjuster or litigation specialist is handling litigated insurance claims out of known liberal venues, they are most often the parties who negotiate the settlement as quickly as possible. The West Coast is just one of these venues, and the large companies rarely win a case when it appears that a small voice has filed the complaint. In the more conservative venues; however, such as the Southeastern United States, the lawyers and adjusters have a greater chance of aggressively pushing a settlement on the Plaintiff.

Most all lawsuits have a rule that the Plaintiff cannot be contacted directly, and all parties must go through Plaintiff counsel. However, in cases of insurance claims, when the adjuster represents a company outside of the Insurer, this adjuster may speak to all parties openly. These are known as Third Party Administrators, and they pose no conflict of interest when speaking to a Plaintiff.

During mediations the adjuster may very well have the most control of the room, outside the Judge. They are assigned the task of settling the claim fairly and equitably, that day whenever possible. This adjuster can negotiate, communicate with all parties involved, direct counsel on how to proceed, and sign the settlement themselves.

While most adjusters do have a Bachelor degree, it is not generally required so long as they have a high school diploma or equivalent, and have gotten an insurance adjuster license. To get this licensing, they must take a forty-hour insurance course and pass a state examination. Once these have been achieved, most adjusters will begin handling basic claims right away, and any of these claims can become a matter of litigation at any time.

One cannot stress the importance of these additional Internet courses for the attorneys. They might be familiar with mediations, working in conjunction with an insurance adjuster is very different. These two groups approach the handling of these cases in a different manner, and one must be able to practice insurance as well as law.




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