JAMS Mass Disasters Mediation, Arbitration, and ADR Programs

With limited court resources available for such massive litigation, plaintiffs, defendants, cross-defendants, and courts are eager to find alternatives to resolve disputes quickly and fairly. Class actions and other forms of aggregate litigation are usually not appropriate based on the nuances of these claims. 

Further, in disasters where there can be thousands of lawsuits—often with a single defendant—traditional litigation can be excessively burdensome to claimants who need timely resolution to rebuild their lives. Third party defendants and insurance carriers, too, need solutions to address protracted litigation that consumes resources and diverts attention from normal business operations.

Since 1979, JAMS has demonstrated the tangible benefits associated with alternative dispute resolution (ADR); it is quicker, less expensive, and more flexible than traditional litigation. This is particularly true in complex, high-volume disaster claims with multiple parties.

JAMS experts work with stakeholders and courts to design programs that take into account the particular circumstances of the disasters and common themes of the claims. Protocols are established to ensure cases stay on track, resulting in process efficiencies that can allow claimants to have their claims paid faster, and defendants to more quickly get claims off of their books. 

The efforts of JAMS neutrals are bolstered by administrators with expertise in supporting and scaling large disaster programs. 

JAMS neutrals have resolved disaster claims with recoveries in the billions of dollars.