Court-Approved Mediation Used to Assist Fungal Meningitis Victims

The crossroads between healthcare and mediation is in the news again.  According to reports, attorneys for many of the individuals who were injured in last year’s rare fungal meningitis outbreak are now working hard to ensure that every potential defendant participates in a court-approved mediation program set-up to help victims.  The so-called Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee has asked healthcare providers who allegedly administered tainted drugs created at the now bankrupt New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts to contribute to a fund for those hurt and the families of those who died after contracting the disease.  According to the nation’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 64 patients tragically died as a result of the outbreak and 750 others became ill.  The stated goal driving the mediation effort is a desire to reduce litigation costs and ensure that all injured plaintiffs achieve a prompt recovery.