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772-559-1984
772-559-1984
Insurance claims and coverage mediation in Florida is a confidential, voluntary dispute resolution process in which a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator facilitates structured settlement negotiations between policyholders, insurers, and interested parties — resolving coverage denials, claim valuation disputes, bad faith handling allegations, and policy interpretation conflicts without trial.
Florida’s property insurance market has undergone significant legislative reform since 2022. As of 2026, Florida insurers and policyholders operate under tightened claim-filing deadlines, revised bad-faith standards under Florida Statutes § 624.155, and a restructured Citizens Property Insurance framework.
Those changes have compressed the window for productive pre-litigation resolution — making early insurance mediation more valuable than at any prior point in Florida civil practice.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., mediates insurance claims and coverage disputes throughout coastal and south-central Florida.
Ford J. Fegert spent more than 30 years litigating insurance, personal injury, medical malpractice, and maritime matters — representing policyholders and insurers across the full range of insurance conflict categories. Prior to moving his practice to Florida, Ford J. Fegert was a Guest lecturer in Marine Insurance at the University of San Francisco Law School. Ford J. Fegert now mediates as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A, provides certified insurance mediation throughout Florida.Contact Ford Fegert at 772-559-1984 for a free consultation — available 24/7.
Insurance claims and coverage mediation is a structured, confidential negotiation process governed by the Florida Mediation Confidentiality and Privilege Act, Florida Statutes §§ 44.401–44.406.
A Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator serves as a neutral facilitator — with no financial stake in the outcome — who brings the insured, the insurer, and their respective attorneys to the table.
The mediator examines the claim, opens productive communication between both sides, and helps each party assess the realistic cost of continued litigation against the value of a negotiated resolution.
Florida insurance mediation differs from litigation in one fundamental way. Litigation produces a winner and a loser, decided by a judge or jury applying only the remedies available under the law.
Mediation produces a resolution both sides negotiate and voluntarily accept — without a public court record, without binding judicial precedent, and without the cost and delay of trial.
Florida Statutes § 44.405 protects all insurance mediation communications — including insurer reserve figures, coverage positions, and internal adjuster assessments — from disclosure in any subsequent legal proceeding.
Insurers and policyholders negotiate candidly without creating a discoverable record of their internal positions.
| Insurance Dispute Category | Common Mediation Subjects |
| Property Insurance | Coverage denials, hurricane damage claims, flood loss disputes, and structural damage valuation |
| Marine Insurance | Hull and machinery coverage, P&I insurance conflicts, cargo insurance, and underwriter denials |
| Personal Injury Liability | Bodily injury claim valuation, liability coverage disputes, UM/UIM coverage conflicts |
| Medical Malpractice Insurance | Professional liability coverage, malpractice claim valuation, and defense cost disputes |
| Commercial Insurance | Business interruption, commercial property, general liability, professional indemnity |
| Bad Faith Claims | Unreasonable coverage denial, failure to settle within policy limits, § 624.155 violations |
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., mediates property insurance coverage denials, hurricane damage claim disputes, flood loss valuation conflicts, and structural damage disagreements between Florida property owners and their insurers.
Florida’s coastal geography produces a disproportionately high volume of property insurance disputes — particularly following hurricane and tropical storm events. Florida circuit court litigation resolves these disputes in one to two years. Ford J. Fegert, P.A, resolves them in a single confidential session.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., mediates hull and machinery coverage conflicts, protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance disputes, cargo insurance claim denials, and underwriter coverage disagreements.
Ford J. Fegert’s Florida Bar Board Certification in Admiralty and Maritime Law — combined with the Proctor in Admiralty designation from the Maritime Law Association of the United States — makes Ford J. Fegert one of Florida’s most qualified marine insurance mediators.
Admiralty and maritime mediation through Ford J. Fegert addresses the full spectrum of marine insurance conflicts.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., mediates bodily injury claim valuation disputes, liability coverage conflicts, and uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage disagreements between injured parties and insurers.
Ford J. Fegert litigated personal injury matters on both sides of the table throughout a 30-year career — providing firsthand claim valuation insight that neither side can dismiss at the mediation table.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A, mediates professional liability coverage conflicts, medical malpractice claim valuation disputes, and defense cost disagreements between healthcare providers, medical facilities, and their insurers.
Medical malpractice and healthcare mediation through Ford J. Fegert draws on direct healthcare litigation experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in Florida malpractice proceedings, including jury trials, so the mediator has a nuanced understanding of these claims from both sides.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., mediates business interruption claims, commercial property coverage conflicts, general liability coverage denials, and professional indemnity disputes between Florida businesses and their commercial insurers.
Commercial insurance mediation keeps sensitive business financial information, revenue figures, and operational data out of the public court record — protecting both the insured and the insurer from reputational exposure.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates insurer bad faith handling allegations, unreasonable coverage denial claims, and failure-to-settle-within-policy-limits disputes under Florida Statutes § 624.155 — Florida’s insurance bad faith statute. Bad-faith disputes carry exposure that dwarfs the underlying claim value.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., mediates bad faith conflicts before that exposure compounds further, helping both sides reach a resolution that accounts for § 624.155 liability without the cost of a separate bad faith trial.
Florida insurance mediation costs reflect the complexity of coverage disputes, the number of parties, and the mediator’s subject-matter expertise. Private mediators in Florida typically charge between $350 and $650 per hour.
A straightforward two-party property insurance coverage denial resolves in a half-day session at a total mediator cost of $500 to $2,000 per side.
A complex multi-party marine insurance, commercial property, or bad-faith dispute under Florida Statutes § 624.155 may require a full-day session, with total mediator costs ranging from $1,200 to $4,000 per side—split equally unless the parties agree otherwise.
Florida insurance litigation generates a substantially higher cost profile. Both sides absorb coverage counsel fees, adjuster deposition costs, expert witness preparation fees ranging from $200 to $1,000 per hour, and court filing expenses — all of which accumulate over one to two years before trial.
Florida insurance litigation regularly generates five-figure legal costs on both sides before either party presents a single witness.
| Cost Item | Insurance Mediation | Florida Insurance Litigation |
| Mediator fee | $350–$650 per hour per side | Not applicable |
| Typical half-day session total | $600–$2,000 per side | Not applicable |
| Typical full-day session total | $1,200–$4,000 per side | Not applicable |
| Reserve figures protected | Yes — Florida Statutes § 44.405 | No — subject to discovery |
| Time to resolution | Hours to one day | One to two years average |
| Expert witness costs | Avoided in most cases | $400–$1,000 per hour per expert |
| Total dispute resolution cost | Thousands | Often exceeds $50,000+ per side |
Florida Statutes § 44.405 protects all insurance mediation communications — including reserve figures and coverage positions — from disclosure in any subsequent legal proceeding.
Insurers and policyholders negotiate confidentially in mediation without generating a discoverable record of their internal positions — a protection that Florida insurance litigation cannot provide.
Florida insurance litigation follows a predictable and expensive pattern. The insured retains coverage counsel. The insurer assigns defense attorneys. Both sides conduct discovery into the policy language, claim-handling procedures, adjuster communications, and damage assessments.
Expert witnesses are retained on both sides. Trial arrives one to two years after filing — and neither side’s internal positions remain confidential once discovery begins.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., brings both sides to the table before Florida insurance litigation costs consume the value of the underlying claim.
Both parties examine the policy language, the claim documentation, and the realistic litigation risk — and negotiate a resolution that neither side could guarantee a Florida court would deliver.
| Benefit | Insurance Mediation | Florida Insurance Litigation |
| Time to resolution | Hours to days | One to two years average |
| Privacy | Confidential — no public record | Public court record |
| Reserve figures protected | Yes — Florida Statutes § 44.405 | No — subject to discovery |
| Coverage positions protected | Yes — Florida Statutes § 44.405 | No — discoverable |
| Party control over outcome | Full control | The judge or jury decides |
| Cost | Significantly lower | Significantly higher |
| Bad faith exposure managed | Resolved privately | Escalates through litigation |
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., mediates property, marine, liability, malpractice, commercial, and bad faith insurance disputes throughout Florida.Schedule a free consultation at 772-559-1984 — available 24/7.
Insurance mediation with Ford J. Fegert, P.A. follows a structured process — but one specifically tailored to the dynamics of coverage disputes, where policy language, claim documentation, and insurer conduct are all simultaneously at issue.
Pre-Session Review: Ford J. Fegert, P.A., reviews all submitted mediation briefs, policy documents, claim files, adjuster communications, denial letters, and expert reports before the session date. Ford J. Fegert arrives at the table having already analyzed the coverage language against the claim fact, not encountering the file for the first time at the conference table.
Opening Joint Session: Ford J. Fegert opens each insurance mediation session with all parties and their counsel present. Ford J. Fegert explains the voluntary and confidential nature of the process under Florida Statutes § 44.405, confirms each party’s settlement authority, and establishes the ground rules for productive negotiation. Both sides present their positions on coverage, liability, and damages before private caucuses begin.
Private Caucuses: Ford J. Fegert meets privately with each party in separate caucuses. Ford J. Fegert examines the policy language against the claim documentation, tests each side’s coverage position against realistic litigation risk, and identifies resolution structures specific to insurance disputes — including partial coverage resolutions, structured settlements, reservation-of-rights agreements, and multi-insurer coordination frameworks.
Ford J. Fegert surfaces options that neither side has fully considered before the session began.
Settlement Agreement: Ford J. Fegert documents agreed settlement terms in a written agreement signed by all parties — a binding, enforceable contract under Florida law. The settlement terms remain confidential under Florida Statutes § 44.405 unless both parties agree otherwise.
No reserve figure, coverage position, or adjuster assessment disclosed during the session enters the public record.
Impasse: When full agreement is not reached on the session date, Ford J. Fegert preserves all partial agreements that narrow remaining coverage disputes — reducing ongoing litigation costs for both sides. No statement, admission, reserve figure, or coverage position disclosed during insurance mediation is admissible in any subsequent Florida court proceeding under Florida Statutes § 44.405.
Ford J. Fegert spent more than 30 years litigating insurance, personal injury, medical malpractice, and maritime matters in Florida state courts and U.S. District Courts. Ford J. Fegert represented policyholders and insurers on both sides of the exact insurance conflicts Ford J. Fegert now mediates.
Ford J. Fegert understands how Florida insurance adjusters calculate reserves, how coverage counsel interprets policy exclusions, how medical experts value malpractice damages, and how maritime underwriters assess hull and P&I claims — because Ford J. Fegert litigated all of those questions throughout a 30-year career.
Both sides in a Ford J. Fegert insurance mediation receive a process guided by a mediator who has evaluated claims from both positions.
| Credential | Issuing Body | Year Earned |
| Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator | Florida Supreme Court | 2005 |
| Florida Bar Board Certified — Admiralty and Maritime Law | The Florida Bar | 1997 |
| Proctor in Admiralty | Maritime Law Association of the United States | 1991 |
| J.D. — Admiralty and Maritime Law Emphasis | Tulane University School of Law | 1984 |
Ford J. Fegert mediates insurance disputes throughout coastal and south-central Florida, including Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Stuart, Palm Beach County, Melbourne, Brevard County, Orlando, Orange County and surrounding Indian River County communities.
Online mediation is available for out-of-state insurers, P&I clubs, and parties whose principals are located outside Florida.
What is insurance claims and coverage mediation in Florida?
Insurance mediation in Florida is a confidential, voluntary process under Florida Statutes §§ 44.401–44.406 where a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Mediator helps policyholders and insurers negotiate a binding settlement — resolving coverage denials, claim disputes, and bad faith allegations outside of court.
Is insurance mediation confidential in Florida?
Yes. Florida Statutes § 44.405 protects all insurance mediation communications — including reserve figures, coverage positions, and adjuster assessments — from disclosure in any subsequent legal proceeding. No public court record documents either party’s positions or settlement terms.
Can insurance mediation resolve bad faith claims under Florida Statutes § 624.155?
Yes. Ford J. Fegert, P.A. mediates insurer bad faith handling allegations and failure-to-settle-within-policy-limits disputes under Florida Statutes § 624.155. Bad-faith mediation resolves insurer conduct disputes before separate bad-faith litigation compounds exposure on both sides.
What types of insurance disputes does mediation resolve in Florida?
Florida insurance mediation resolves property coverage denials, marine insurance conflicts, personal injury liability disputes, medical malpractice coverage disagreements, commercial insurance claims, bad faith handling allegations, and UM/UIM coverage conflicts throughout Florida state and federal jurisdictions.
Can insurance mediation proceed while a Florida lawsuit is already filed?
Yes. Florida courts routinely order insurance mediation during pending coverage litigation under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700. A successful settlement resolves all pending claims and terminates the litigation. An unsuccessful session leaves all litigation rights fully intact.
How does insurance mediation protect confidential reserve figures?
Florida Statutes § 44.405 protects all communications made during insurance mediation — including insurer reserve figures, coverage positions, and internal adjuster assessments — from disclosure in any subsequent legal proceeding. Insurers negotiate without creating a discoverable record of their internal claim valuations.
How long does an insurance mediation session take?
Florida insurance mediation sessions typically last three to six hours. A straightforward property coverage denial may be resolved within a half-day. A complex multi-party marine insurance or bad faith dispute may require a full day or follow-up sessions scheduled within days.
Why choose Ford J. Fegert, P.A., for insurance mediation in Florida?
Ford J. Fegert holds Florida Supreme Court Certification as a Civil Mediator and Florida Bar Board Certification in Admiralty and Maritime Law, and spent more than 30 years litigating insurance, personal injury, maritime, and malpractice disputes in Florida courts. Ford J. Fegert mediates insurance disputes throughout coastal Florida, including Vero Beach and Fort Pierce, with civil mediation and arbitration services available across all dispute categories.
Ford J. Fegert, P.A., resolves insurance claims and coverage disputes throughout coastal Florida. Call 772-559-1984 or contact Ford Fegert online today. Ford J. Fegert, P.A. | 1201 19th Pl, Vero Beach, FL 32960
