This California guide explains mediation in personal injury cases. Start with this action: Understand that mediation is voluntary. Preserve this priority record: Mediation brief prepared by attorney. Avoid this common gap: Expecting immediate resolution. The sections below organize the evidence, timing, practical questions, and consultation steps that may matter.
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Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney
Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.
View Raffi Naljian's full verified profilePrimary identity record
This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full verified attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.
The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.
For mediation in personal injury cases, ask how prospective counsel would evaluate Mediation brief prepared by attorney and address the risk of Expecting immediate resolution. No directory or topic page can determine the right attorney. Compare active-license status, directly relevant experience, communication, fees, conflicts, availability, and who would handle the work, then confirm case fit directly before choosing counsel.
Topic preparation notes
These notes explain what the issue may involve, which documents make the first review stronger, and when a direct consultation may be more useful than further browsing.
First action: Understand that mediation is voluntary. Next action: Prepare to discuss your case and injuries. Keep the order tied to actual dates so an attorney can distinguish completed actions, open requests, and assumptions.
Start with Mediation brief prepared by attorney and Summary of damages and evidence. Add Medical records and bills as a separate source, preserving who created or controls each item and when it was obtained.
Avoid Expecting immediate resolution. Also guard against Being inflexible on settlement amount. A useful file separates confirmed facts, disputed points, and records that still need to be requested.
California evidence brief
Mediation gives the parties a structured opportunity to exchange information and evaluate settlement, but it does not guarantee an agreement. California court rules emphasize procedural fairness, informed participation, and uncoerced decisions. Preparation should identify the disputed facts, settlement authority, liens and costs, acceptable terms, and the documents needed to compare an offer with the risks and delay of continued litigation.
List the strongest and weakest liability facts, disputed medical issues, economic losses, future-care evidence, available coverage, liens, litigation costs, and upcoming case dates. Distinguish confirmed facts from assumptions.
Why it matters: Mediation can move quickly. A concise decision sheet helps the participant evaluate a proposal against the actual evidence rather than reacting only to the latest demand or offer.
Ask who will attend, who can authorize settlement, whether an insurer or lienholder must approve terms, what will be exchanged before the session, and how the mediator will conduct joint and private discussions.
Why it matters: A session is less productive when a necessary decision-maker or key record is missing. The mediator should explain the process, while each party retains responsibility for informed, uncoerced decisions.
If an agreement is reached, confirm payment timing, releases, lien handling, confidentiality language, dismissal steps, disputed nonmonetary terms, and who must sign. Obtain legal advice before agreeing when needed.
Why it matters: A dollar figure may leave important obligations unresolved. A careful written term sheet reduces later disagreement about what the parties intended and what must happen next.
Primary court rule addressing procedural fairness, explanation of process, representation, and settlement assistance in covered court-connected mediation.
Primary court rule explaining covered mediation pathways and the case-by-case assessment of amenability to mediation.
These sources provide general California context. Deadlines, admissibility, available claims, and required proof depend on the specific facts and should be reviewed individually.
Compare the claim facts with the attorney's credentials, listed practice focus, and public sources.
Begin with this step: Understand that mediation is voluntary. Address urgent safety and necessary care before administrative preparation.
Preserve Mediation brief prepared by attorney and Summary of damages and evidence as separate sources. Record their dates, custodians, and any unanswered request.
Review the file for Expecting immediate resolution and Being inflexible on settlement amount. Correct missing context without changing or discarding the original record.
Bring the organized records and questions to the consultation. An independent attorney can evaluate the actual facts only after reviewing them and can provide representation only under a separate agreement.
Start with this step: Understand that mediation is voluntary. Next: Prepare to discuss your case and injuries. Address urgent safety or medical needs first, and seek timely advice if a deadline or changing evidence may matter.
Prioritize these records: Mediation brief prepared by attorney; Summary of damages and evidence. Keep originals, note where each record came from, and identify anything requested but not yet received rather than treating a missing item as proof of what it would show.
Avoid this gap: Expecting immediate resolution. Preserve the underlying facts and communications, separate what is known from what is assumed, and let a qualified attorney evaluate how the issue applies to the actual matter.
No. This guide is general information. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, and representation begins only if an independent attorney accepts the matter under a separate written agreement.
Compare active-license status, directly relevant experience, communication, fees, conflicts, availability, and who would handle the matter. Use the records and questions in this guide to evaluate case fit, then confirm those points directly before choosing counsel.
Attorney fees and case costs vary. Review the written fee agreement, percentage, litigation costs, repayment terms, and who is responsible for expenses before hiring counsel.
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Important Disclosures
Attorney Advertising. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. This website provides general information, not legal advice. Viewing a page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Independent participating attorneys decide whether to accept a matter, and representation begins only under a separate written agreement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.