Settlements are reached through negotiations between the lawyer for the injured person and the lawyers and insurance companies working on behalf of the parties being sued based upon their negligent conduct. Another method is to involve a third party in the process through mediation. Mediation is mandatory for lawsuits filed in Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor, but the parties to personal injury lawsuits filed elsewhere could agree to mediation on their own. The process begins with the parties choosing an impartial third party to serve as the mediator. mandatory The role of the mediator is not to impose a settlement on the parties. Instead, a mediator hears each party’s story, including the evidence supporting it, and attempts to bring the parties closer together. The efforts of a neutral mediator may help the parties to work out issues that had been keeping them apart by pointing out strengths and weaknesses the parties might be more willing to seriously consider than if it had come from an opposing lawyer in the case.