Kingston, ON-  Today Conflict Analytics Lab (CAL) at Queen’s University, in partnership with researchers from Oxford University, University College Dublin, and the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, launched an online dispute resolution tool called Vaccine Mediator designed to promote equitable and efficient compensation for individuals experiencing unintended side effects from COVID-19 vaccines.
 

Vaccine Mediator is an innovative third-party system that enables individuals to register potential side-effects and receive fast and reliable information about available compensation options. Leveraging an AI-powered legal aid platform, it pre-assesses compensation eligibility, provides a customized report and an easy to understand guide to help individuals submit a pre-drafted claim to the relevant government agency.

“Our tool is focused on expanding access to justice through technology, as well as addressing potential concerns about vaccine adoption”, said Professor Samuel Dahan, CAL Director. “Accessible information and reliable pathways to support are critical, particularly when making medical decisions. In the event of rare and adverse complications, our system guides individuals through the compensation process, from application to settlement, and connects them with supervised law student mediators for information and help along the way”, said Dahan.

The first iteration of Vaccine Mediator is now operational in Canada and the U.S., and is customized based on the users’ jurisdiction and availability of vaccine injury compensation programs, as is the case with Quebec, and the U.S. Canada’s federal compensation program launched and began accepting applications in June 2021.
 

The Vaccine Mediator platform is intended to help users navigate government compensation programs. It does not store personal or medical information, not does it constitute medical or legal advice. To learn more about Vaccine Mediator, visit tool.myopencourt.org/vaccine-mediator.

About the Conflict Analytics Lab

A project of Queen’s Law and the Smith School of Business, the Conflict Analytics Lab (CAL) is a research-based consortium concerned with the application of data science and machine learning to dispute resolution. Conflict analytics is the process of extracting actionable knowledge from negotiation, mediation, and settlement agreements. To learn more, please visit the CAL website.

For further information

Julie Brown
Media Relations Officer
Julie.brown@queensu.ca
343-363-2763