The best way to get more money from your settlement is to be prepared. You may have already hired an attorney, but even if you haven’t, it’s important that you know what goes on at a mandatory settlement conference in a personal injury case. Here are some things to think about before you get ready for your first meeting with the other side:
When Preparing for the Settlement Conference
The settlement conference is a time to gather all of the information you need and share it with your lawyer. Your lawyer will then be able to prepare for the case and make sure that you’re ready for anything that might come up during this process. If you don’t know what to expect at a settlement conference, here are some things that might help:
● Bring everything that has been relevant in your case (e-mails, notes from investigators or witnesses) along with any documents related to your injuries. Bring photos if possible; sometimes pictures speak louder than words!
● Make sure all witnesses are present so they can testify on their experiences with the accident or incidents leading up to it (for example: did they see someone driving erratically before hitting them).
How Settlement Conference Starts?
The court clerk will call your case and ask if there are any motions, objections or other things to add to the record. If so, state them clearly in front of the judge and provide evidence that they are relevant. The judge will then let you speak on your own behalf before making any decisions about whether or not to settle your case at this stage.
Separation of the Parties and “Shuttle Diplomacy”
At the mandatory settlement conference, you and your attorney will be separated from the other side. The mediator will make sure that everyone gets a chance to talk about what has happened and what needs to happen next.
The parties are separated so that they can communicate with each other more easily. This can help avoid misunderstandings or arguments between them, which could result in bad publicity for both sides of a case or lead to a settlement being rejected by one party because it feels like their interests were not taken into account by others involved in negotiations (like lawyers).
Because all of these people involved have something important at stake here—their clients’ health–it’s important that they all work together as smoothly as possible during these meetings; otherwise, things could get pretty messy.
A personal injury lawyer in St. Catharines may be able to help you get more from your settlement conference. They can help you prepare for the conference by gathering information about what happened, who was involved and what their expectations are.
They can also help negotiate with the other party at a settlement conference so that both sides feel comfortable with their agreement before it’s signed off on by an attorney representing one of them (more on this later).
High Stakes
The stakes are high at a settlement conference, so it’s important to be prepared. If you’re the injured party, it’s especially important that you have an attorney who can help you get more from your settlement. A lawyer can help by preparing for the conference, starting it on time and separating the parties as smoothly as possible. They may also shuttle between attorneys during negotiations in order to keep everyone focused on reaching an agreement without losing sight of their goals.