Each year hundreds of millions of insurance claims are filed against insurance carriers in the United States and around the world, representing hundreds of billions of dollars in insured losses. From minor fender-bender auto accidents to major catastrophic events, handling these claims requires the expertise of many attorneys, claim professionals, managers, administrators, and experts in various disciplines. Fortunately, the vast majority of insurance claims are resolved through the adjustment process without the need for litigation and involvement of the courts. Still, even the small percentage of claims that do not resolve in that manner result in hundreds of thousands of lawsuits filed in the state and federal courts. Using alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as arbitration, mediation, settlement conferences, and appraisal is common as a way for both insurance claimants and insurance carriers to avoid the expense, delay, and uncertainty of trying an insurance claim dispute in court.

This resource is for attorneys and insurance claim professionals who are familiar with the common alternative dispute resolution mechanisms within their own practice areas but may be unfamiliar with such mechanisms in other areas. It also includes chapters that provide general information on insurance claim mediations and arbitrations, as well as dispute resolution of insurance claims involving international parties and on ethics in arbitration and mediation to help practitioners understand the professional responsibility boundaries around those mechanisms.