Practice Areas

• Car and Motorcycle Accidents
• DUI and Criminal Defense
• Big Truck Accidents
• Medical Malpractice
• Serious Injuries:
  Slip and Fall | Dog Bites

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My neighbor and lawyer have both suggested I try to resolve my accident case in mediation, what do you think and what is mediation anyway?

A:

Mediation is a type of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) that I have found to be helpful in many personal injury/accident cases and that has many advantages.

ADR or mediation is an alternative to going to trial and can be used to resolve almost any type of dispute including: divorce disputes, business or employment issues, accidents, dog bites, and medical malpractice.  It is generally a voluntary process that is confidential and is not binding on any of the party's involved.  Mediation is conducted by a mediator who is an impartial, neutral person that has undergone special collaboration training. In Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness and North Florida, mediators are usually retired judges or attorneys.  It is the mediator's job to provide a safe and balanced environment where both sides of a dispute can be heard and present their case and an agreement can be reached in a voluntary and non-coercive manner.

In my experience over 80% of accident cases that go through the mediation process are able reach a settlement in mediation. This can save the injured victim money and time and allow them to have their life continue without a lengthy drawn out trial process.  In mediation, the participants involved make the decision, not a third person such as a judge or jury. Mediation provides the public with an option that can lead to resolving disputes permanently and effectively and also offers the courts a mechanism to relieve overburdened dockets.  In fact, in Florida, 99% of all personal injury cases lawsuits will be ordered by the judge to mediation in an attempt to settle the case before it can be tried in front of a jury. However, mediation can be used at anytime in an accident case.

To learn more about mediation, I suggest you read my library article that discusses the process, purpose, advantages and disadvantages of mediation in more detail, or give me a call at 1 800 373 8000.

Jeffrey Meldon Tip:  As an accident lawyer with over 37 years of experience helping injured victims get the justice they deserve in North Florida; it is very important, to have an experienced personal injury/accident lawyer present your personal injury or medical malpractice case in mediation and to give you guidance regarding what a reasonable settlement would be.

The Law Offices of Jeffrey Meldon & Associates are personal injury lawyers, located in Gainesville, Florida have been working to get accident victims the justice they deserve for over 37 years in Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness, and the rest of North Central Florida and Florida. Accidents involving a car crash, truck wreck, and motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accidents, slip and falls and medical malpractice are all included in our practice.

We have been representing injured victims in Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness, Daytona Beach, Dunnellon, Palatka, The Villages, and the counties of Alachua, Marion, Columbia, Citrus, Volusia, Sumter, and Putnam since 1971, and take pride in our work and results.

For more information about mediation, or any other question you may have, feel free to contact our office at 1 800 373 8000

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