The Importance of the New Institution of “Mediation” for the Civil Liability of Veterinarians

Abstract

Veterinarians, by the nature of their occupation, deal with animals on a daily basis and in a variety of contexts. The core of their activities involves the provision of professional services, which are usually performed to the satisfaction of both the animal and the owner. Not all of the interactions have the desired outcome, however, and veterinarians who have been defendants in lawsuits find themselves confronted with a wide variety of legal claims. Lawsuits that involve the assessment of medical liability generally take a long time, and in recent years, the number of court actions against veterinarians has increased. In view of this fact, we examine legislative decree no. 28/2010, which also concerns civil proceedings on liability in human medicine. We forecast that the new institution of “mediation” could become an important instrument in hastening the resolution of court actions concerning medical liability.