At clickNsettle, cases involving insurance companies and personal-injury claims are the most common. It prevents cases from lingering for years and ultimately costing as much as the claim is worth. ClickNsettle's proprietary software allows the parties to exchange offers until the figures are within 30 percent of each other. The software computes the difference, which is then offered to both parties as a compromise. If the parties remain at a stalemate, they can choose a traditional means of settling the dispute, through the company's hearing officers.
Insurers say they are interested in online resolution but still assessing the process.
Despite its potential ease, online resolution doesn't work in all disputes. At clickNsettle, about 50 percent of all parties offered the online option choose to resolve their dispute via computer. And of those cases, only 45 percent are actually settled online. If the percentage seems low, Israel says, it's because online resolution is a new tool. That number will grow as the product becomes more familiar.